Taking Up Beading? An Amazing Variety Of Books And Beading Kits Will Help You Get Started

Beading looms, Russian coraling techniques, crocheted bead jewelry, beading incorporated into purses and quilts … there are so many ways to create beaded items that it's hard to know where to start. Luckily, the Internet can bring an entire world of beading information, materials and supplies into your home. A quick search using the keyword "beading" results in hundreds of websites offering beading materials and supplies, free beading patterns, and a wealth of books for students of beading, both beginning and advanced.

For the beginner, the book Simply Beautiful Beading: 53 Quick and Easy Projects, by Heidi Boyd, offers a variety of attractive designs for jewelry and accessories, as well as projects for home décor. She teaches thirteen basic beading techniques, all easy to do and all of which result in beautifully made items for personal use. Another book, Bead Fantasies, by Takako Samejima, teaches easy techniques which result in wonderfully delicate and feminine jewelry and other crafted items.

If you're interested in the intricate designs possible with the use of a bead weaving loom, explore the Dover Needlework series volume, Big Book of Indian Beadwork Designs, by Kay Doherty Bennett. One of many excellent beading books with a Native American theme, this particular book has a wealth of authentic Native American designs to copy or adapt to your own projects, for jewelry and to add to clothing, bags, and other crafted items.

You can also find information, both in these books and on the Internet, about the materials and supplies you need to start beading: bead boards, bead crimping tools, stringing wire, tweezers, a variety of beading looms - and, of course, beads and findings, thousands of them, from all around the world. From the tiniest seed beads to large, colorful ceramic or glass beads, to intricately designed silver beads, bells, and pendants, they are available from virtually anywhere in the world. If you want to make it easy on yourself, order a beading kit: many are available for all skill levels, and will get you set up with the basic tools needed for the craft, in addition to supplying you with the beads necessary for the specific project.

Beaders are a passionate lot, and many websites available on the Internet offer galleries of personal work for your inspiration; many also offer free beading patterns, as well as free instruction, even free online courses in beading. Pick a project that attracts you, and try to copy it using the techniques you know. Play with it; choose different color combinations, incorporate the design into a different application from the one shown, explore using beads of different sizes and shapes to see what results. Pick up a book on color or basic design and incorporate those principles into your work. You may find that you move very quickly from simply copying the designs of other artists to creating your own designs, and from there you'll very quickly develop your own personal style.

How To Make Beaded Jewelry - Upgrade Your Bead Jewelry Making By Trying Bead Weaving

If you are primarily making bead jewelry using bead stringing techniques, I recommend that you give bead weaving a try.

Unlike bead stringing where you run your string or wire through a set of beads in one direction, with bead weaving you will criss-cross both ends of your wire or string within selective beads depending on the jewelry pattern.

There are a huge variety of patterns available from very simple weaves to extremely complex and intricate weaves. The complex ones can be fun to try, but in my opinion the simple weaves using a variety of different colored beads make more attractive jewelry pieces.

If you have gotten used to the simplicity of bead stringing, then when you first look at a piece of jewelry that has been made using bead weaving you may think it is too complicated for you to do. Don't let this stop you from giving it a try because I promise you that it is easier than it looks.

There are a few basic patterns you have to learn but once you have practiced those and have them down, you will be able to weave most anything. I bead weave not only necklaces and bracelets, but even rings as well. A matching set of a weaved necklace, bracelet, and ring makes quite an impression.

And if you are in the business of selling your jewelry, bead weaving gives you an advantage because not many jewelry makers are doing it. This means your jewelry becomes unique in the eyes of your customers.

In addition, bead weaving makes the final jewelry piece look more complex so it has a higher perceived value (meaning you can get a higher price!) than jewelry made with bead stringing.

So if you are looking to kick your jewelry making into a higher gear, give it a shot. Your jewelry portfolio will take on a whole new and exciting look!

Eri Attebery operates http://www.JewelryMakingProfessor.com a site dedicated to offering products that teach how to make jewelry, and http://www.JewelryMakingInformation.com a site offering jewelry making tips, video tutorials, product reviews and resources for both jewelry making beginners and pros.

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