I know many of my readers are intermediate to advanced beaders, but I want to have some more posts on the basics so we can corrupt invite beginners into our community and help them get started.

1. Project Box- Helps keep you organized and its portable if you want to take your projects with you. I prefer Snap ‘N Stack.
2. Beads- Many basic projects can be completed using only size 11 seed beads. I have several free projects using a variety of beads that are suitable for beginners.
3. Needles- Most of mine are size 10 or 12, and I’m not too picky on the brand. Size 12 has a bigger eye, and a good size to start with. I forgot to mention Tulip needles, which are stronger and don’t bend as easily. Those are great if you use them before you lose them.
4. Thread- experiment and figure out what you like best. I prefer One G or K.O. but many beaders I know like Fireline. It’s a fishing line that is carried at sporting good stores and bead shops. I think 6lb clear would be a good choice to start with.
5. Scissors- Sharp scissors are essential for thread, but grab a pair of cheap, kid-friendly scissors for Fireline.
6. Scoop- I was beading for years and years before I discovered this! Really does make clean up a snap.
7. Pen- For writing notes on your instructions, or sketches for ideas. I always have sticky notes or a sketch pad around, but any napkin will do. To make your own beaded pen like in the video, sign up for my email newsletter, and download the free Beaded pens eBook.
8. Bead Mat- I use to put my beads in little dishes, but the bead mat keeps them from rolling all over the place. The case I referred to in the video is called a Design Save ‘N Go and you can check out my review on them here.
9. Good Lighting- Essential to reduce eye strain and keep you beading longer and more comfortably. I love my Ott light! When you are choosing beads for your project, you want to look at them in good light to really see if you like how the colors play together.

Aside from the Ott light and the projects box, I can find everything at my local bead store. I would encourage you to choose your LBS first because they can also share their wealth of knowledge as you learn.

What do you think? What do you think of my list? Is there anything you would add? Please share with us in the comments below. I read and appreciate each one!

I’ve been working on a spiral rope necklace today, and I noticed something about my process that I think is worth sharing. When I finish playing and finally decide what I want my pattern to be, I place the piles of beads on my mat in logical order. This helps me to bead more efficiently, and here’s why:

Little Mistakes Add Up

When bead piles are in random places all over the mat, little mistakes happen. Sometimes I’ll forget to add the core bead. If the pattern in asymmetrical, I’ll have to recheck my work to see what the order is, and then reverse it. The way that spiral rope is worked means the beads you put on last become first when you take a stitch. I’m using 15/0s, and therefore a smaller needle. So, it’s an extra pain to take off the needle, undo a mistake, re-thread, and start back up again.

Beading Efficiently

With my piles ordered logically, all I have to remember is 1-2-1-2 and bead my piles from left to right. For the example in the picture, I’ll add 1 black 11/0 for the core, 2 purple 15/0s, 1 yellow 11/0, and 2 fuchsia 15/0s for the pattern beads. I have less mistakes and it makes quick work of the project. Remember that beading isn’t a race though, it’s a journey

Give it a Try

Check out my Spiral Rope Necklace Tutorial if you aren’t familiar with the stitch, and try it for yourself. This tip applies to all types of projects, not just this one, and I would love it if you shared your experience with us in the comments below.

What do you think? How do you arrange your bead piles when you bead? Please share with us in the comments!

About 5 years ago, I began my transition from amateur to professional beader. I was selling loomed bracelets and amulets that I designed myself, and I was expanding my stitch repertoire. I knew brick stitch from making tons of Native American style earrings, and was struggling with starting peyote. I was completely self taught at this point.

I decided to go for a bigger project in the spring semester of senior year of college. Experienced beaders everywhere will gasp: I started making the front side of an amulet bag with size 11 Czech beads in brick stitch. I know, what was I thinking! For the beginners, here is why that’s ridiculous:

1. You can use tubular peyote to create the front and back sides of an amulet bag at the same time, then just sew up the bottom and add fringe. It is much easier.
2. Czech beads are just not the best quality beads. They are useful to achieve a rustic look, for fringe, and bead embroidery. This project needed some uniform beads.
3. Brick stitch requires two stitches per bead, so it takes twice as long. Brick stitch is very good for stacking beads, but peyote stitch is superior for this amulet bag project. (Both stitches give the same “look,” the brick pattern.)

I worked hours on this project, and got as far as you see pictured before stopping. The line across the top was no longer straight, so my Nepalese eyes weren’t lining up properly! This is because I was using beads that were all size 11, but not uniform. What now?

I found a bead forum online, searched for “uniform beads,” and came across Delicas, also called cylinder beads. All were the same size and shape across all colors, and thousands of 942 colors and finishes were available! To me this discovery was like discovering the New World!

How Delicas are different from other seed beads

1. Seed beads have rounded edges and Delicas do not. With a flat edge, the hole in the Delica bead is larger and allows for multiple passes of needle and thread.
2. Delicas are incredibly uniform, which means they fit together nicely when weaving with them to create perfect edges.
3. All Delica beads are made in Japan, but there are actually three different companies that manufacture them; Miyuki, Toho, and Matsuno. Don’t confuse Delicas with round seed beads.

The ends and outs of brand differences is complex. Some people mix them, but I don’t. All of my Delicas are Muyuki, and I even have a spread sheet to keep them organized.

The following summer, I started on Reveille. She is the first lady of Aggieland, and the official mascot of Texas A&M. Reveille done with peyote stitch in 29 different colors of Delicas, and it took me over 60 hours to complete her. There’s quite a difference between that incomplete project and Reveille, and that is the power of Delicas!

My first freeform peyote project is complete! I started this bracelet in Colette Chapman’s class at the Texas Bead Retreat, and she creates amazing freeform peyote eye candy. She is a wonderful teacher and I was able to jump right into the technique.

Here is what I learned about freeform peyote so far:

1. Use a base. If this is your first project, I recommend using a base to help you get started. For homework before the class, Colette had us bead a strip of flat peyote the length of the bracelet minus the clasp in size 8/0 seed beads. The base made it really easy for me to just start.
2. Start with focal beads. Plan out where you will place each one, and embellish out from there. Try rearranging the focals and place them in different configurations and spacing before tacking them down permanently. I used one butterfly in the center of my piece.
3. Bridges are the key. Make a loop that starts near your focal and moves toward the clasp end. Create a few rows of peyote on the loop, then embellish with lentils, daggers, drops, etc. My first loop on this piece is the one over the left wing of the butterfly with daggers.
4. Use stabilizer beads. If you embellish a row of peyote with daggers or drops etc, it’s a good idea to stabilize them with another row of peyote.
5. You can never have enough beads. Use crystals, pearls, bugle beads, firepolish, and size 15, 11, 8, and 6 seed beads, lentils, pressed glass, stones, and drops. I organize my bead choices by color to start.
6. Be free. It’s called freeform for a reason! Do whatever you want and take it out if you don’t like the way it looks. I may have gone a little overboard on mine, but I love it and will wear it all the time. Remember that it only matters what YOU like, and with freeform peyote, you can develop your own aesthetic.

My bead mat after finishing this project, A MESS!

If you would like more instruction, give this tutorial from Whimbeads a try. I’m going to create my own tutorial after making a few more pieces and discovering my favorite approach.

More Freeform Peyote Eye Candy:
Judy Gilmartin
About.com Beadwork
Kasey
Sylvie Camps
Christen Brown
Kat’s Beadwork
Shelley K. Bossert (scroll down a bit)
Holly Thompson (scroll down a lot)

Thanks to Janice Lynn for helping me find these websites!