Beading Techniques How To

Make something beautiful.

A practical starting point for stringing, wirework, loom weaving and more. Build your skills one project at a time.

Plan · Practise · Finish

Find your starting point

Stringing

Arrange beads on a cord, thread or flexible beading wire. A simple bracelet is a useful first project: practise spacing, sizing and a secure finish.

Wirework

Use wire to make loops, links and wrapped connections. Start with a simple bead drop before moving on to wrapped loops or more elaborate shapes.

Loom weaving

Create rows of beads between lengthwise warp threads. The loom holds the warp in place while a weft thread secures the beads.

Off-loom weaving

Build a fabric of beads with a needle and thread. Peyote, brick stitch, right-angle weave and herringbone each create a different structure.

Bead embroidery

Stitch beads to a foundation, then add a suitable backing and edge finish. Test that your needle can pass through both foundation and beads.

Beaded knitting & crochet

Combine beads with yarn or thread using a project-specific method. Some designs pre-string the beads; others add them as the work grows.

Before the first bead

  1. Choose one project and read the full pattern, including its finishing steps.
  2. Match the beads, stringing material and findings. Test small holes and repeated thread passes.
  3. Lay out the design on a bead mat or board. Include the clasp and connectors when planning length.
  4. Make a short sample of an unfamiliar stitch or connection. Check that it feels secure and moves as intended.

Use the needle guide, tool guide and stringing-material guide to choose your starting kit.

Make secure connections

Attach a clasp with a crimp

Use this method with a flexible beading wire and compatible crimp. Cord, weaving thread and stretch elastic may need a different finish.

  1. Choose the crimp size recommended for your wire and crimping tool. Pass the wire through the crimp, around the clasp attachment and back through the crimp.
  2. Keep the two wire sections parallel inside the crimp. Leave a little movement at the clasp rather than pinching it tightly.
  3. Follow your tool’s sequence. A standard Beadalon crimping tool first rounds the crimp in its outer notch, forms a crescent in its inner notch, then folds that crescent in the outer notch after a quarter-turn.
  4. Check the connection with a gentle pull. Follow your chosen method for the wire tail, keeping cut ends tucked away from skin.
  5. Finish the other end with enough ease for the beads to drape naturally. Check the fit before final trimming.

See Beadalon’s illustrated crimping sequence ↗

Open and close a jump ring

  1. Hold opposite sides of the opening with two pairs of suitable pliers with flat inner jaws.
  2. Twist one side towards you and the other away, opening only as far as needed. Avoid pulling the ring sideways into an oval.
  3. Add the components, then reverse the twist. Bring the cut ends together so they meet without a gap or sharp step.

Make a simple loop

Thread a bead onto a head pin or suitable wire, allowing enough wire for the loop. Bend the wire at the top of the bead, then use round-nose pliers to roll a loop. Bring the end flush with the stem and check for a gap. Practise the amount of wire needed on a spare piece first.

A wrapped loop adds turns of wire around the stem. Its construction and opening method differ from a simple loop; follow a pattern suited to your wire’s thickness and temper.

Get to know the knots

Choose a knot for the material and project, then test it. A knot that holds one cord securely may slip in another. These illustrations help you recognise common forms; your pattern or cord maker should guide the final fastening method.

Surgeon’s knot

An extra turn in the first part of this knot adds friction while it is tightened. It is often used with stretch cord when the cord manufacturer recommends it. Follow that maker’s advice about adhesive, curing time and tail length.

Surgeon’s knot — illustration 1
Surgeon’s knot — illustration 2
Surgeon’s knot — illustration 3
Surgeon’s knot — illustration 4

Overhand knot

A simple loop-and-through knot. Useful as a starting point in many techniques, but a single overhand knot is not a secure finish for every slippery cord.

Overhand knot — illustration 1
Overhand knot — illustration 2

Figure-eight knot

A figure-eight creates a larger stopper than a simple overhand knot. Check that the knot cannot pull through your bead or finding.

Figure-eight knot — illustration 1
Figure-eight knot — illustration 2
Figure-eight knot — illustration 3

Half-hitch

A half-hitch ties the working thread around an existing thread or support. In beadwork it may form part of a planned finishing path, followed by weaving the thread through additional beads.

Half-hitch — illustration 1

Build your beadwork skills

On a loom

Set up the warp for your pattern. In a common loom method, the loaded bead row sits between warp threads and the needle returns through the beads on the other side of the warp. Check each row is captured before moving on. Follow your loom’s instructions for setup and finishing.

Off the loom

Start with a small sample and consistently sized beads. Watch the thread path as well as the colour chart: the connection between beads determines the structure. Even tension matters more than pulling every stitch tight.

On a foundation

Use a suitable embroidery base and build the design in manageable areas. Secure the thread using the pattern’s method, then cover and finish the reverse so that knots and thread paths are protected.

At the finish

Weave in or fasten threads as the technique requires. Check for sharp wire ends, gaps in rings, loose crimps, snagging tails and areas that bend too tightly.