What do I have to know to start beading?

Hi There.....Do you like beadwork?

Most of you know my answer to this question already. Yes I am a beader and you could say that I am a seedbeadaholic 😉

If you want to help me get rid of my addiction I would strongly advise against that.....I am too far gone to even be thinking of getting better.....Nah I am good no worries.....Here is some proof of my addiction 😋

So you might be wondering how I got started. Due to a lot of health issues and surgeries back in 2007 (If you are curious about this you can read my first blog post about it here) I had to start looking for a new hobby that I could do when resting.....Or sitting on my lazy but 😁

Because of my mobility problems I didn't quite feel like going out and follow workshops on the topic.....Do note that there are a lot of people offering great workshops if you do feel like it 😊

But I am not the one to give you advice on those because as I said it was not for me. So maybe you are a bit like me.....Stuck like glue on your comfy sofa and you still want to learn. My best advice that I can give you is to start searching for tutorials on beading or video's on beading on Youtube or if you are more into books there are a lot of bead stitching books for beginners out there too.

Although I do have a question for you first.....Do you want to start beading for yourself or maybe you want to start up a shop?

If you are not sure about the fact that beading is what you would like to do to get your own shop with beautiful handmade items.....I would strongly advise against it.....No I am not kidding you this time but the market is oversaturated with jewelry shops of all kinds 😞

At first, I started out with these somewhat cheaper beads that I found in Veritas (Belgian shop) from Gutermann

I made a lot of pieces with these beads. And there is nothing wrong with them if you are a starter they are a very good choice. So be sure not to start with the most expensive beads like Miyuki or Toho before you get the hang of it.....On the other hand, don't stock up too much on those cheap beads either because you might not want to use them anymore once you start using the more expensive ones.....The cheaper beads work fine for multi-strand necklaces or spiral ropes but when you want to do loom work, peyote or brick stitch you will notice that they will make your work look uneven and even sloppy 😒

To start with I also used cheap nylon wire to make my first beadwork creations. They are good to get you started off but I do need to warn you especially about the cheap nylon wire.....It disintegrates in time and after a while, you are left with nothing but parts of a necklace. There are a lot of different sorts of beading wires out there.

Here is a video that can help you get a better idea of what you might want to start with 😃

I have found that Potomac bead company has a very helpful channel for beginning beaders as well as the more experienced beaders.

Here is another video of them explaining all the kinds of stitches you can use for bead weaving.

I do recommend to be careful not to take on more than you can handle in the beginning. There are a lot of stunning pieces out there that might give you inspiration but Rome wasn't built in a day either. 

Hope you like my blog post.....Until next time.....Have a great day

Renata (Seadbeady)

Behind every unique handmade piece is a lot of hard work. It's a labor of love and every piece you buy will make someone's day a happy day.

Want to be on my blog next time ?? Want me to review your product?? Just send me an email 😊