Beading Basics

Terri Gable: Hi! I am Terri Gable, owner of Studio Baboo, a Big Little Bead Store. Today I am going to show you how to bead. I am going to show you how to string using bead stringing wire and bead stringing thread. I am going to show you all the techniques you need to make a beautiful, beautiful jewelery that your friends will be envy of you. They will think it came from a jewelery store.

I will also show you several intercalate looking beading stitches, peyote stitch, brick stitch, and herringbone stitch. With a little practice, you will be making fabulous jewelery and your friends will all look at you and think you got them in an expensive boutique.

Some of the tools you will need are chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, wire-cutters, tweezers, scissors and an appropriate work surface. Some other items that are handy are a bead board which allows you to lay out your pattern before you begin stringing. If you need them, certainly you want your reading glasses and a task lamp. I like the simulated natural day light style of lamp. The basic supplies you will need are, of course, beads. For our stringing, you can use gemstone beads, glass beads, pearls and for our stitches, you will need seed beads. You will also need bead stringing wire, silk thread, bead stitching thread, beading needles, thread conditioner, glue and findings which are all the metal parts, we will need to put our jewelery together.

There are many books and patterns available for all of your bead stringing. For stringing necklaces and bracelets, there are books that have many, many patterns and lots of instructions. There are also magazines that come out about every 2 months or so with lots of patterns. For the beading stitches, you want a pattern and perhaps a little more information. There are many wonderful books that you can get that have basic instruction and charted patterns that you can follow. These can also be purchased at your local hobby and craft stores and our large book stores. Just a few quick safety issues. Your pliers, tweezers, scissors and needles are sharp and should be kept away from children and pets. Beads also pose choking hazard to children and are not recommended for children under the age of 5. Before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I began beading 20 years ago and soon thereafter, started selling my creations at art and craft fairs. With the encouragement of many friends and family, I started teaching others how to bead. Ten years ago I opened Studio Baboo, a Big Little Bead Store in Charlottesville, Virginia. I love helping my customers pick out their beads, plan their designs and perfect their techniques, but most of all, I love seeing their finished projects. Now that you know a little bit about me, let's get started.