Welcome to Bead Weaving 101
Here, on TheAlluringBeadBoutique.com, you will see the term beading weaving mentioned over and over. But what exactly am I referring to?
There are numerous beading techniques used to create bead work.
In this post, we are going to explore those techniques.
Beading techniques are broadly divided into the following categories:
bead·ing /ˈbēdiNG/
the craft or pastime of stringing beads together to make jewelry or other decorative items of bead work.
- Stringing
- Pearl Knotting
- Bead Looming
- Bead Embroidery
- Bead Crochet
- Kumihimo and Macrame – Braiding with Beads
- Bead Knitting
- Bead Tatting
- Bead Weaving or Off-loom Weaving
Bead Stringing
Bead stringing is the most straightforward form of beadwork, but that doesn’t mean it is the simplest.
Stringing beads involves adding beads to any type of thread, cord, elastic, leather, beading wire or similar material.
The resulting beadwork can be a single strand, multiple strands, or braided strands.
Pearl Knotting
Knotting is traditionally used to protect pearls from rubbing against each other and to keep them from flying everywhere if the strand breaks.
Knotting can be done with almost any type of bead in a thread that matches the color of your beads, or a contrasting color.
It also makes for an interesting design element.
Loom Beading
In loom beadwork, the beads align in rows and columns.
Loom beading is faster than off-loom bead stitches but requires some additional steps to set up the loom before you can get started with loom beading.
A bead loom is a device used to weave beads into a cloth-like beaded fabric.
It can be used to create strips of flat-beadwork or larger sized beaded panels that can be incorporated into purses or used as artwork.
Bead Embroidery
Bead embroidery is another type of beadwork where beads are stitched or sewn onto a fabric or backing.
There are several types of bead embroidery stitches, and bead embroidery can be used either by itself or in conjunction with another craft such as cross stitch or quilting.
Bead embroidery is often used as an embellishment for clothing and other items. and does not form an essential part of a textile’s structure.
Bead Crochet
In bead crochet, you string beads on to yarn before beginning the project.
As you crochet, you slide the beads close to your hook when you want to use them.
The beads are secured in place with a stitch, usually a slip stitch or a single crochet stitch.
Kumihimo with Beads
Macrame with Beads
Macrame is a technique of knotting cords that produces a rough lace-like fabric, believed to be Arabic in origin.
The basic knots are the half hitch, full hitch, square knot, and double half hitch.
Jewelry is often made in combination of both the knots and various beads.
Knitting with Beads
Knitting with beads is an age-old art that you can do in two ways. The first and easiest method, “beaded knitting,” has beads spaced at planned or random intervals.
The beads are added by threading them directly onto the working yarn. These beads usually fall over the stitches rather than between them.
The second method, developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, was used for purses and other elaborately decorated items.
Sometimes known as purse knitting, this method is also worked by threading the beads onto the working yarn, and then by placing the beads between each stitch, so that the knitting stitches are completely hidden by beads.
Bead Tatting
Tatting is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace from a series of knots.
Tatting involves wrapping thread around one or two shuttles and using the shuttles to guide the thread into patterns of knots to create rings and chains in delicate designs.
Bead tatting designs incorporate beads into the thread work and the beads must be added to the thread before hand.
Off-Loom Bead Weaving
The term Bead Weaving most commonly refers to Off-Loom Bead Weaving.
Off Loom Bead Weaving refers to beadwork that is done by using a needle and thread and one or more beading stitches to create an intricate chain or fabric of beads.
Beadweaving is most often done with small beads called seed beads. These beads were named because of their resemblance to seeds.
Seed beads range in size from very small to large, and even include different shapes such as cubes, bugle beads and drop beads that do not necessarily share the small, round shape of a traditional seed bead.
There are several different beading stitches that are used to connect the beads. Each stitch has its own unique thread path and creates a different type of beadwork.
Many of these stitches have variations which will make either a flat strip of beadwork, a round tube, a spiral or a flat circular shape.
- peyote stitch
- brick stitch
- herringbone stitch (also called Ndebele)
- right angle weave
- netting
- spiral rope
- chevron stitch
- square stitch