Beading Tips
Single Strand Bracelets and Single Strand Necklaces are always
in style and are easy -to-make bead projects for beginners.
You can go for a traditional patterned bracelet/necklace,
or an eclectic bracelet/necklace. The choices are limitless!
Single Strand
Bracelets
Single Strand
Necklaces
More great Beading Tips!
Counting Seed Beads - Sometimes when you’re
working with seed beads, especially in freeform peyote, you
miscount and end up with an extra seed bead. Debra-Lyn, one
of our favorite customers, says that she uses her crimp tool
(or chain nose pliers) to break the seed bead, instead of
trying to pull her needle back through.
Elastic Cuffs - Woven elastic cuffs are
a lot of fun to make and wear, but sometimes the elastic can
be a pain to work with, because it keeps tangling and sticking.
So, one of our innovative teachers, Chrissy, came up with
this solution: take a paper towel and put baby powder on it,
then fold the towel in half and run your elastic through the
towel and baby powder. This, she says, eliminates the sticking.
Slippery Fireline Thread - The new thread
in the beading world right now is Fireline, which can be a
joy or a pain to work with, depending on who you ask. The
main complaint seems to be that it’s slippery, and tangles
easily. So, to conquer this problem, Donna, another of our
fabulous teachers, simply waxes her Fireline just like she
would her regular thread. This keeps the fire line from tangling
and gives her a better grip. (It really does make Fireline
much easier to handle!)
Camouflaging Magnetic Clasps - If you like
the easiness of magnetic clasps, but you don’t care
for the look, simply do as Donna does and attach a button
to one end of your bracelet. That way, when you clasp the
bracelet, the button hides the magnet, and it looks like you
have a button clasp.
Jump Rings & Magnetic Clasps - If you’re
having trouble using jump rings with a magnetic clasp (because
the blasted magnet keeps sticking to your tools), take an
extra pair of pliers and let the magnet stick to it; that
way, you can calmly attach the jump ring in peace.
Wax Substitute - If you can’t find
your wax, or you’re on a trip and you forgot it at home,
just remember that chapstick will work in a pinch!
Wire and Chain - If you do a lot of jewelry
with wire and chain, and you have trouble remembering to slip
the chain onto your loop before you wrap it (like I do), try
simplifying. Try putting all of your beads onto their respective
headpins, and then make just the loop on each one; then, add
the chain and wrap. Sometimes doing things in steps can be
very helpful.
Wax Buildup - If you work with thread, chances
are you use wax. And if you use wax, chances are at the end
of your project, you suffer from wax buildup. There are a
number of ways to deal with this problem, so here are a few
of the suggest methods:
- Debra-Lyn sticks her projects (before the clasp is attached!)
in the microwave for a few moments, which allows the wax
to melt.
- Linda, another one of our creative customers, likes to
use a blowdryer on hers, which melts the wax and gives the
beads a glossy shine.
- Kelsey, one of our bead experts here at Ambrosia, usually
puts her finished product in a bowl of warm/hot water, which
gets rid of the wax residue.
Thank you for reading our Beading Tips! We’ll add more
as we get them
If you have a great beading tip you’d like to share
with us, feel free to email it to us and we’ll add it,
so everyone can benefit. |
