Do You Make These Mistakes NOT Buying Beads Online?

What is a bead?
Beads are just decorative objects that are usually pierced for threading or stringing, and beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads. The most common bead materials are wood, plastic, glass, metal, and stone.

The advantages of buying online:-

Beads will be cheaper
You can buy in bulk
There is more variety

Buying in bulk particularly from wholesalers can cut down your costs. Making beaded jewellery can become a full time job so buying in bulk will be crucial to your business.

Core items to buy, apart from the beads themselves, would be Findings -
Clasps - lobster/spring
Chain - different materials/lengths
Crimp beads - tube beads to secure ends (used with crimp pliers)
Stringing material - illusion cord, stretch magic and softflex/beadalon, etc

I'm sure you'll find more besides.

Essential tools:-
Pliers (buy good quality as they don't last), jigs (metal but plastic for beginners), and bead mats (microfleece mats stops your beads rolling away, good investment to save frustration).

This advantages of buying online also applies with variety. A physical store may not be able to cater for all your needs. And for the most professional looks (without expense) variety is key when making jewellery out of beads made of:-

Naturally occuring materials such as
Bone
Coral
Horn
Ivory
Seeds
Pearl
Animal shell
Wood
Stone (including gemstones)
and certain Metals

And synthetic materials such as
Glass
Pottery
Lead crystal
Acrylic

Beads can come in all varieties of colours. Beads can also have subtle gold or silver highlights when electroplated, glass pearls, which are just glass that has been coated with a pearlescent finish, and machine precision cut Swarvoski Crystal.

And come in the following shapes:-
Rice                             Cube
Chips      Bicone
Barrel                           Square
Rectangle                   Hex-cut
Rhombus                    Spangle
Tube                             Round
Teardrop                    Triangle
Star                              Nugget
Abacus                       and much more...

Would you like to learn what types of beads are available and how best to use them?

Do you want to know:-
What Rosary beads are?
What seed beads are?
What types of glass beads there are?
What waist beads are?
et al

Then read on...

It is easy to find beads and all the accessories you will need online it's as simple as using a search engine.

Seed Beads on Elastic Cord for Multiple Uses

Seed beads on elastic can have so many purposes.

You could have them wide enough to slip on and off your waist, like a skirt, as waist beads.

You could have them smaller to slip on and off a wrist as a bracelet.

As with bracelets using elastic cord for anklets follows the same principle. Worn under or over tights so that they won’t snag like harder findings such as silver clasps, etc would. And are less fiddly to take off after an evening out. Bending over putting on tights is bad enough without fiddling with clasps too!

You could even wear them on your head. If you have long hair they can be clipped into place with a hairgrip.

Place or stretch the cord, so there is a little give, to fit on your head like a headband above or below the hairline. Be careful it doesn’t stretch too much as you’ll see too much cord and not enough bead!

If you have leftover seed beads that are not going down however much you use them make other jewellery out of them but solely of seed beads.

You could have all one colour. Or mix and match two different seed bead types together such as hex cut and a square.

When using elastic cord because of the thickness you would only be able to use seed beads that have a stringing hole of approximately 0.5mm or larger.

What I like about this method is there are no tools required only beads and a scissors, to cut the elastic cord.

You know it is knotted cord but other people don’t. They can’t tell. And if you are looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive gift for your children’s friend’s birthdays or Christmas presents, etc. This will be an unusual way to surprise them, and their parent too.

Waist Beads – Different Beads for Different Looks

There are many types of beads to choose from when creating or buying waist beads. For a delicate and feminine look try small seed beads.

Depending on what you decide to wear these small beads can be multicoloured or light to stand out against darker skin or over dark clothes and vice versa for lighter skin or over light clothes.

If you want the beads to be the centre piece and you are not wearing any other jewellery use semi precious stones instead as this will really draw attention to that area.

The only downside with semi precious stones is that your waist, however slim you are, will always be bigger than say your neck so take into consideration the expense. Mixing the semi precious stones with crystals would be a more economical option.

You could have two sets of waist beads.

1) For maintaining your weight loss.
As these are better to wear under clothes (as clothes can be different thicknesses) these could be plain (also cheaper) and the beads all the same size and material as nobody else will see them but you.

2) For showing off you maintained weight loss.
Whereas your plain and cheaper waist beads kept you slim. These beads can be more stylish. No expense would be wasted as you know they will fit every time.

The way the beads hang on the waist can be different too. Some women like the tight snug fit across the belly button whereas others like a loose fit that hangs low across the navel. The style you choose may also be determined by whether you have a navel piercing or tattoos on the belly.

For emphasis beyond look waist beads can make a sound by adding dangle pendents and/or bells. They can also be scented. This makes the wearing of waist beads to be a multidimensional experience for the wearer.

Sterling Silver Quality Beads

Fine silver is 99.9% pure but this makes it soft and difficult to work with. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and is usually mixed with copper which makes up the other 7.5%. This makes it hardwearing and ensures it does not discolour. The term ‘sterling’ silver refers to the alloy of silver and copper.

Do you want to make jewellery that can be used on any occasion
Would you like to make jewellery for someone who doesn’t like fussy jewellery
Why sterling silver jewellery is better for somebody who wears jewellery permanently
What can I do about sterling silver beads that have become tarnished

Silver Beads – For Any Occasion
The advantage of silver beads, apart from the high quality of the bead itself, is that is made from a neutral colour that can be worn with any outfit. Perhaps not gold but then some people like that mix! So sterling silver beads can be mixed with other materials. What it lacks in colour is made up in durability and strength. The colour silver also would look good day to day and evenings out.

The One Material Beaded Jewellery
Some people like jewellery but they do not like fussy jewellery with lots of beads of different types of materials, delicate beads, too colourful, etc. They are more purists! They like one material only as that is what they are comfortable with. When people have tattoos some like lots of colour and others like no colour at all but as tattoos adorn the body and are an expression of a person’s personality jewellery is a form of personal adornment too.

Hard Wearing Silver Beads
The advantage of silver beads is that they are hard wearing and robust so can be worn permanently and definitely longer than say Swarovski Crystals which are delicate, breakable and get dulled from oil on skin, etc if worn all of the time.

What about tarnished beads
The only downside to constant use is that it has a tendency to tarnish. If you use the beads occasionally only make sure they are in an air tight container for storage as it is the air that tarnishes the silver. If they do become tarnished use hot water with a little salt or baking soda. Leave the sterling silver beads in the water until the tarnish is gone.

Beads to Buy for Bracelets

If you are making bead bracelets from scratch there is an infinite number of designs available. With just as many colours and plenty of materials to choose from too.

What to consider before buying or making a bead bracelet
Would you like to make your bracelet from scratch or buy the parts
Choosing a design and/or theme

Before Buying
Think about whether you would you like matching earrings and/or necklace for the bracelet. This would mean buying more than you would normally need for just a bracelet. Also, consider being able to replace any beads that may get lost when making your jewellery or from wear and tear.

A bracelet would need to be 1 inch (around 2.5 cm) wider than your wrist to fit the beads on so taking this measurement will give you an idea of how many beads you will need depending on the size of bead used, if your beads are going to be more than 10mm you will need a longer length. If you use fewer beads gravity will make them all fall to one side with big gaps on the other! If you buy Chamilia beads and bracelets you can buy additional locks that will prevent gaps in your bracelets.

Depending on your budget using a few semi precious stones will allow these stones to stand out against cheaper beads and spacers.

It would be worth choosing the bracelet before the beads – a leather bracelet would look odd with semi precious stones but who knows maybe you’ll come up with a winning unique design!

Think about the jewellery you already have also the colours. Do you like a certain style of jewellery or are you going for a completely different look? Would you like the bracelet to compliment an outfit of a certain colour? Do you want your bracelet to be made of all one material e.g. sterling silver beads? Finally, are you picking beads that have a special meaning e.g. birthstone or astrological sign?

Buying or Making
It is fun, more time consuming but rewarding making a bracelet from scratch but also consider Trollbeads, Chamilia and Pandora beads. They come with their own bracelets and you choose from the hundreds of beads available to make up your own bracelet.

Designs
You can start by simply copying an existing bracelet design you like or copy the colour combinations using different materials so if you see gemstones change them up for glass beads, etc. There are many books available with designs and with practice you will be able to come up with your own.

Many bracelets have dangle charms or letters spelling out a name or a generic family name e.g. Mum or Dad, etc that bring a personal touch.

Themes
If you are making a customised bracelet find out about the person – their likes and dislikes. Maybe they like nature so the beads can be made from flowers, leaves or raindrops, etc.

It’s great wearing jewellery that you know you’ve spent time, money and often your own imagination making. If you are completely new to making bead bracelets it would be worth your while buying a bracelet making kit.

Buying Wholesale Beads Online

Buying wholesale beads is not so much for the hobbyist but more for the self employed, those running a group, and those selling beads or jewellery off or online.

The word wholesale is often misused as a wholesaler only sells to licensed businesses who resell but many online suppliers offer wholesale prices to anyone who purchases in quantity.

Best place to buy wholesale beads
How to save your money
How to save your time
There is more variety online
Buying tips
Saving your sanity too

Wholesale buying
The best place to buy beads is actually where you are right now – online i.e. the internet. Besides being convenient it also means you do not need to carry what you buy particularly if you want to buy in bulk to save money. If you are making jewellery designs over and over, or are repeatedly running out of certain beads bulk buying is definitely something to consider.

Money saving
Although buying direct means if you buy in bulk you will spend more you will still save in the long run. Take into account the postage costs these costs could be offset against fuel/ticket prices of a car, bus or train, etc you would have needed to spend to travel to a shop, over and over again. Check the cost for minimum orders they may be higher than you expect. Another aspect to bulk buying is knowing you have storage when it turns up at your door!

Time saving
It also saves time time that you would otherwise be hunting through craft shops particularly if you don’t live near any in your area. Not buying in bulk would also mean a lot of restocking.

Bead variety
There will only be so much stock in a store so knowing you can choose from a larger variety of beads will mean that the jewellery you make will look that much more unique and less commonplace.

Bead buying tips
If buying brand named beads e.g. Trollbeads it would be better to buy direct to ensure you are getting the genuine article unless you have a good relationship with your supplier. A hint before making your first order is to search through forums and find out where everybody else is buying their beads from also another clue that you know you are dealing with a reputable supplier is that they sell more than the beads themselves. They will also sell chains, books and findings, etc.

Buying seed beads in bulk could end in disaster as often many colours are mixed in together and the quality is not as good.

There is some terminology that would be useful to know when purchasing beads in bulk whether glass, gemstone or precious stone.

For example, a ‘mass’ of beads holds around 1200 beads, a ‘gross’ is 144 beads, a ‘mille’ holds 1000 pieces, an ‘once’ equals 28 grams, ’448 grams’ equals 1lb, ’1000 grams’ equals 1kilo or 2.2lbs, and a ‘hank’ of beads – the number depends on the size of the bead and can even range from 3,000 to 5,000 beads or more – for sead beads.

Saving your sanity
Lastly, if you hate shopping full stop. And you hate shopping in the wind and rain, and with other people to boot! Shopping online will be ideal for you.

Why Buy Cheap Beads Online

Are you starting a new hobby? Are you teaching a group for the first time? Do you look after older children and don’t know how to keep them occupied?

Here are a few advantages to buying cheap beads for jewellery making.

Cheap beads are a good choice for beginners,
they are an excellent choice for children, and
a cost saving for those on a budget.

Beginners:-
When first taking up jewellery making there will be a lot of practice involved so mistakes will be made – maybe the combination of beads won’t look right, maybe the findings could look better, and maybe the spacing between beads looks off so you are happy to part with the beads.

If you are teaching a group of students they may want to keep their first attempts because they are proud of their achievement and want to show their family and friends. So expect your supply of beads to disappear quickly.

Children:-
Children love jewellery. But I wouldn’t trust them with my jewellery! So to meet them half way offer them cheaper beads. Children love exchanging gifts, and older children like going out and looking good so jewellery they have made themselves is both creative and fun for them.

Budget:-
If you have just become self employed or are starting to teach you will need a small outlay. So cheap beads are great for those on a budget. Even though I won’t share some of my jewellery with chldren, I love my long necklaces made out of plastic, and jet is my favourite because although plastic it still looks classy. I also have another favourite necklace that is definitely cheap as it is very old, and made out of wood and string.

If you are on an even smaller budget because you are learning yourself a starter kit is an even better choice. You don’t know if this will be a hobby or a business opportunity for you so buy accordingly. Also, I feel if I’m not used to tools/equipment and I know they are expensive it puts me right off using them.

Make mistakes, learn from them, and then buy more expensive tools/equipment and then more expensive beads! With practice you will have jewellery that you can’t wait to wear and show off, although still keep the cheaper ones for all of the reasons above.

What are Mardi Gras Beads

Mardi Gras is French for ‘Fat Tuesday’, also known as Shrove Tuesday, and is a season of celebration held in many cities including Rio de Janeiro, Columbia, and New Orleans, etc before Lent. (Lent is a Christian tradition when all foods are consumed before Lent, which is Ash Wednesday to Easter, to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is also know as ‘the feast before the fast’).

What is the origin of Mardi Gras Beads
What are Mardi Gras Beads made up of
What to do with your beads when Mardi Gras is over

Mardi Gras bead history:-
There are a few ideas about where Mardi Gras beads came from although the most popular is that they are thought of as good luck when thrown to the crowds by member of Krewes from Mardi Gras parade floats. This did not start until the 20th century though.

What are Mardi Gras beads made from?
Mardi Gras beads are actually quite inexpensive. Originally they were made of glass but due to the danger aspect were swapped for plastic. They are just strings of plain round beads that come in any colour but those which carry most significance are green for faith, gold for power, and purple for justice. Also, the longer the better!

If you want to buy these beads put your orders in early, members of Krewes can spend in excess of $800 per parade ride on Mardi Gras beads.

What happens to your beads the rest of the year?
Mardi Gras is a carnival that happens only once a year so you will only use them once a year which makes them very disposable. Also, as they are cheap to start off with there will be lots to recycle unless you want to keep them as a memento.

What to do with your unwanted beads:-
1) You can keep them safe for the following year.
2) Use them to celebrate another occasion.
3) Dismantle them to make mosaics, or use them in another creative way.
4) Make jewellery out of them – children will especially love the bright colours.
5) Donate them to a school or charity – to be resold.

What are Waist Beads?

Beads aren’t just for the obvious of places on the body e.g. neck or wrist. They can also be used for furniture and in clothing. Also, around the waist!

Where does wearing beads around the waist come from
Is there a symbolic meaning
How to measure your waist for beads

The wearing of waist beads is a tradition in Africa. They are worn under clothes, and are often dipped in scented oil. They are hidden from view much like piercings, tattoos and sexy lingerie are hidden too. Although the actual wearing of waist beads carries several different meanings, and they did not originate in Africa.

In Egypt they were called girdles and were worn by pre-pubescent girls with no sexual meaning. They were also worn by dancers or servants but they wore nothing but the waist beads themselves.

In West Africa they are called many things – Jel-Jelli, Jigeda, Giri-Giri, Djalay Djalay or Yomba. When worn with bells on, they say, the sound is is a sign that a woman is available to a man!

In Ghana waist beads are used to make a woman’s body take on a particular shape then as they grow older they are used to entice men.

Finally, apart from making a woman feel feminine there are various semi-precious stones that can be included in waist beads to heal ailments.

These days waist beads are now used more as fashion accessories and carry no specific meaning other than for purely for aesthetic purposes e.g. to show off a slim waist. Some women use the beads to control their weight, much like when you feel your clothes getting too tight. Although, having a wider waist should not prevent the wearing of waist beads. In the West women are wearing less than they used to so waist beads are becoming more visible. So they can be worn as a simple way to attract attention to a woman’s natural curves.

To get a good fit around your waist:-
You will need a measuring tape.

Wearing next to the skin:-
The ideal place to measure is below the belly button. Don’t hold your breath in or suck your stomach in, stand easy otherwise the thread may break and there will be beads everywhere! The aim is to have them fall comfortably but not so loose that they fall off as you walk.

Wearing over clothes:-
Measure in the same way but with clothes on ideally the clothes you would like to wear with the waist beads on.

Please note do not take measuring for granted otherwise your efforts will be waisted, I mean wasted…

For a completely different look, something to impress your friends or purely for symbolism waist beads can be meaningful as well as fun. Perfect for when you want to stand out from the crowd, and wear jewellery in a different way.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Buying Glass Beads

Glass beads can look just as good as precious stones.

To create handmade quality earring and necklace sets can become a lucrative business. And this is just the start. Even to offer your services to family and friends will mean you can give a unique gift that is very personal in nature. This reminds me of being in school when I painted a face or made a picture of a rabbit out of hard pasta shapes, and offered it as a gift to my mother.

If you spend personal time on a gift it will mean far more to the receiver than the cost of the gift you give!

Glass beads are cheaper than precious stones
Types of glass beads
Telling acrylic and glass beads apart

Unless you are giving (selling) glass beaded jewellery to a jeweller I expect the first reaction would be gratitude at such a unique and pretty gift. Glass beads are affordable, and come in many shapes and colours.

For example, as an alternative to natural pearls you can buy glass pearls which is just glass that has been coated with a pearlescent finish.

Glass beads bring many qualities. They can be reflective, luminous and iridescent. And many more besides. Below are just a few examples of what is on offer:-

a) For stripes of colour, furnace glass beads are made by fusing different coloured glass canes together and then slicing them.
b) Plated glass beads give off a subtle gold or silver highlight. This is due to being coated with a lustre of gold or silver or because they have been electroplated.
c) For something different art glass allows designs of whirls and spots of different pigmented glass.
d) Not all beads are heated and shaped by hand Czech glass beads (aka Czech pressed glass) is where the glass is heated and pressed into molds such as stars, leaves and flowers, etc.
e) To create pretty coloured flowers or any small design of decorative patterns a technique called millefiori would be used on larger pieces of glassware ( millefiori is a combination of the Italian words “mille” thousand and “fiori” flowers and are known as “mosaic” beads throughout the world). This would by done by using small brightly coloured glass canes or rods known as murrine.
g) When beads are galvanized they are plated with zinc so will have a shiny or matte finish.

Finally, if you’ve already acquired glass beads or are buying in a shop and not sure if you are getting glass or acrylic there are actually four ways of telling:-

1) Glass beads will be heavier than plastic.
2) Glass beads will be cooler to touch but will warm up in your hand quickly, unlike plastic ones.
3) Glass ones squeak when forced together in your hand.
4) Last but not recommended (particularly in public) knock them against your teeth – the sound will tell the truth!

Glass beads are an ideal way to keep your costs down without affecting the finished outcome. But be aware because of the weight you may need to use smaller beads or less big ones as you wouldn’t want you customers wrists and necks being weighted down!

All About Seed Beads

Seed beads are small but very useful.

They are made from either acrylic or glass.

How many types are there
What are the best uses of seed beads
What shapes are available
How many can I buy
What are the pros and cons of seed beads

Types of seed beads:-
Seed beads are so called because they resemble plant seeds. The better quality seed beads come from Japan where they are precision cut and uniformed in size. They have large holes where thread can be passed through several times ideal for off-loom bead weaving – they include Myuki, Matsumo and Toho. Czech republic seed beads are less regular in shape and size and have a more squashed oval shape with the hole running through the narrow part of the oval but these ones are usually cheaper.

Seed bead can be used in both jewellery making and decorating fabrics, etc.

The most common uses of seed beads are:-
1. For spacing
2. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings
3. Costumes – scarfs, applique
4. On belts, purses, and keyrings
5. Household items e.g. lamp trims

What are seed beads used for:-
Seed beads have many uses and their size is an advantage.

They can act as filler beads between larger beads to give a balanced and more pleasing look
They help immobilise the distance between two larger beads.
Bugle beads are small, long tubular shaped beads used as spacers and in weaving and embroidery, and are available in many lengths, colours and finishes. Seed beads fill the end of the bugle bead hollow to protect the thread from being cut.
They allow flexibility when when connecting two straight bugle beads together.
A seed bead and a flat button can act as an uncomplicated fastener particularly good for bracelets which are often difficult to fasten with one hand.
Seeds beads are also good as fillers for larger beads. This will close down the opening of a larger bead that the thread passes through.
A seed bead (of a different colour) can be used as a stop bead. It is added to the thread prior to the stitch you’re working on. The stop bead will keep the beads on the thread as you begin to stitch.

Seed beads come in a variety of shapes:-
Teardrop
Hex cut
Triangle
Square

What do I need to know when buying seed beads:-
Seed beads are packaged by gram weight or by hank. A hank is a bundle of strands of seeds. The standard measurement is how many seeds to an inch (or unit) so if 10 beads made up 1 inch it would be a size 10 bead. The bead size would determine the strand number and length of strand.

The pros and cons:-

The pros of seed beads are that they are versatile and can act as fillers so that your other beads stand out.

The cons are, because of their size, they can be fiddly to work with so be prepared to lose a few! Some come pre-strung but either way they are not the easiest to handle.

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