Beadwork, which is an art made with beads, can include a variety of styles. We’ll discuss five different types and show you how to use each one. Let’s get started!
Depending upon certain criteria professionals may use different types for different purposes. You will find the following types of beadwork most often:
- Loom beading
- Bead stringing
- Off-loom bead wefting
- Bead embroidery
- Braiding with beads
There are many other types available. There are many more types but these are most common. Let’s get to know these five beadwork types.
Loam Beading
A beadloom can be used to weave beads into cloth-like, beaded fabrics. This is a great tool to make large-sized panels of flat-beadwork. These can then also be used to create other art, such purses and others. Loom beadwork involves the alignment of beads in rows and in columns. Loombeading is much faster than using off-loom stitches. But, before you start loom beading it is necessary to set up the loom.
Bead Stringing
This beadwork style is the most familiar and easiest. But it isn’t easy. Bead stringing involves adding beads to various materials. This includes thread, leather or elastic, cords, beadingwire, beading wire, and so on. The final product of the beadwork could be one strand, multiple, or braided. You can separate beads by making different knots. Stringing beads on material like an elastic cord can be a great way for beginners to make beaded jewelry. Stringing beads onto a beading rod is another option for creating bracelets and earrings.
Bead Embroidery
Bead embroidery is another type of beadwork where the beads are sewn onto fabric. There are several styles of bead embroideries. You can use bead embroidering work in isolation or as part of a cross-stitching project or quilting. Native Americans recommend bead-embroidery as an option for embellishing fabrics and other objects.
Off-Loom Beading
Off-loom beading uses a needle with thread and one or several beading stich. This is how you can make elegant and delicate chains of fabric beads. This technique can be called off-loom sewing.
Off-loom beading uses small beads. These beads are called “seed beads”. These beads are often called seed beads. This is because they resemble seeds. You can find seed beads in sizes ranging from small and large. They come in a variety of shapes including drop beads, bugle bead, cubes, and cubes.
Seed beads can be as small as 15mm (too small) or large like 6mm (too big). The number of beads that fit in an inch is the measure of bead size. The bead size is determined by the number of beads placed side-by-side.
You need a needle for small bead stitching and a thread for off-loom. You’ll find many different beadstitch options for connecting them. Every stitch is unique with its own thread path. This allows for you to create different types and styles of beadwork.
These are the most used beading stitches:
- Peyote stitches
- Ndebele also known to be called Herringbone stitch
- Brick stitch
- Netting
- Right-angle weave
- Spiral rope
- Daisy chain
- Dutch spiral
- Chevron stitch
- Square stitch
Many of these stitches have different versions, making them either round tubes, flat circular shapes, spirals, or flat beadwork stripes. Native Americans used offloom beadwork techniques like the brick or peyote stitch, as well as a modified version of peyote called the gourd stain, to make beautiful jewelry, utensils or other items.
Braiding with Beads
Beadwork such as bead stitching, kumihimo (which is a braiding method that uses a disc and the beats before the braiding), bead crochet and macrame (which is a knotting technique that includes beads in the overall artwork) are all worthy of mention. For bead knit or bead crochet, string the beads on a heavy thread in a specific way. Finally, you can add the beads in the crochet or knitting.
Conclusion
This is all you need about five common types beadwork. These types aren’t the only ones you have to know. There are other types that are used in this industry. Each have their own purposes and uses. The more you dive into this craft, the more you’ll learn.
