Beading 101: What you need to get started

[lynnzop[$]]

Well, Bridgette's inspired me to try to teach online. Creating bracelets and necklaces with simple stringing techniques is easy, but it helps to have a small tool box to get started. Here is what is in my tool box:

Flat nose pliers, basic basic. Use to pull wires through crimp beads, pick up beads...use to crimp beads if you do not have a crimping pliers (below). Mine has a wire cutter on it, which I recommend, but I can't tell if there is one on this particular model or not.

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Round nose or Needle nose pliers. Just like your flat nose, these babies are basic. If you need to use two pliers, they are invaluable. Also great when you get into wrapping and making eye pins.

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Crimping pliers, very very useful. You can get by without one, but your end product will not look as "professional". A crimping pliers is used to finish off small metal beads called Crimp Beads that are used to hold the ends of your string of beads to the clasp.

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Split Ring pliers, I would recommend only if you are looking semi-seriously at beading. They are fabulous to have (split rings are the little connector rings that look like key chains and they are a bear to open if you don't have one) but not at the top of my "must have" list. Notice the little hook at the end of the top of the pliers...that's what you use to pry open the split ring.

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Also basics in my tool box: nail clippers, small scissors (like an embroidery scissors), scotch tape and a thimble. If you are going to work at all with tiny seed beads, you will want a beading needle - they are long and very flexible.

Next, I'll talk about what minimal supplies you need to have to create bracelets and necklaces.

Lynn

[theworm[$]]

Yeah!
Thanks, Lynn!
I have my shopping list now!

[lynnzop[$]]

Next up, and still somewhat boring are the foundational pieces that you will need to create necklaces or bracelets. Stringing supplies that I have:

Stringing material is first and foremost. For clasp bracelets and necklaces, I recommend Beadalon or a similar brand of plastic coated wire. You simply cannot break this stuff. It can be a little pricey, but believe me, it's worth it. For my professional pieces, I use the 49-strand, .15 or .18 weight. I would not recommend anything below 19 strand...you can buy 7 strand and it will work, but it is stiff and won't fit around your wrist or neck as supple-y (is that a word? )

If you want to make stretchy bracelets, you will need to get some good material as well. Stretch Magic is what I use, and it is readily available in most craft stores. You can use crimp beads and clasps if you want, but I like to just knot it about 4 times and add a drop of nail polish (clear) to secure the knot. Smaller diameters will work better with delicate beads with tiny holes, use heavier diameters for chunky or heavier beads.

Crimp beads are essential. Look for crimps that look like tiny beads if you can find them. They look beautiful, like part of your piece when you are finished.

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You will want to have two different kinds of rings: split (look like miniature key rings) and jump (have a single break in the bead to allow them to be opened up). I have both 4mm and 6mm of both, you can probably get by with just 6mm.

Next up: Clasps! (more fun but not all the fun...yet)

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

theworm said

Yeah!
Thanks, Lynn!
I have my shopping list now!

Can I add to it?

Oh, and in US $$, you should be paying no more than $6-8 for a decent, but low end pair of pliers (except for crimping pliers or split ring pliers, they will probably run more like $10.)

Okay, off to "findings".....

[lynnzop[$]]

The foundations of your piece (stringing supplies, clasps) are among the family of jewelry supplies known as "findings". Findings also include earring wires and posts, and other "basic" things that you need to create jewelry, no matter what kind.

Let's talk clasps, shall we?

There are several types of clasps. What kind you chose to use are totally up to you. There are pluses and minus to all! Here are some of the basics (there are a million clasps, but I'll just outline the most commonly used.)

Spring Rings: basic basic. Cheap to buy, usually pretty easy to put on. Butt ugly usually.


Lobster clasps: Lobsters come in a variety of styles, sizes and colors. I like them a lot...they are a step up from Spring Rings, and more "secure" than a toggle (although I am getting less leary of toggles). Here are a couple of examples of lobsters:


Toggles also come in a host of sizes, styles, colors, etc., When you make a toggle bracelet, you MUST make it a little snug so that it will not come unfastened. Make sure if you are buying toggles in a store that you look at the length of the bar that will fit in the other piece. If it's tiny and has little overlap, it's going to fall off. Guanteed. Toggles work great on necklaces too..in fact, many people are wearing a fancy toggle at the FRONT of their necklaces, much like a delicate pendant. Couple of examples:


Magnetic clasps, I've found, are hit and miss. I found some at Hobby Lobby for .99 each that have the best hold I can find. I'm a little reticent to look for others, so can't offer any advice, other than, they are GREAT if you have difficulty fastening bracelets. Magnetics come a variety of sizes and shapes. Pregnant women and those with pacemakers should not wear magnetic clasps.

As I said, there are a number of other styles of clasps...hooks, sleeves, gosh I can't even go into them all. These are the ones to probably start with.

Next up...danger...danger...BEADS....

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

Easy advice: Pick out beads you like. Pair them up with other beads you like.

Harder advice, figuring out what goes with what. (Right Wormie? ) I like to mix styles of beads and silver and/or gold. But I've got an almost unlimited supply in my back room, and I can go into a shop and just pick out something without knowing what I'll do with it. I don't think any of you are at that point yet.

So when you go to the craft store or the bead shop, look for what you like. If you can buy just what you need, you're in luck...I'll try to outline a guesstimate of how many beads for an average (7 1/4") bracelet you'll need. For necklaces, multiply by the incremental measurement (if you are making a 22" necklace, you will need roughly 3x what's needed for a bracelet.)

Remember when you are "designing" that you will want to create depth and interest by using various shapes, sizes, colors, and medium, all in one piece...

Approximate number of colored beads, crystals, stones, "spacers" (those are the silver/gold beads that you may put between your colored beads) for a bracelet.
4mm beads: 32 beads
6mm beads: 24 beads
8mm beads: 16 beads
Chips: 60 chips

Spacers are interesting silver or gold beads that you put between your colored beads. You may also want bead caps (which fit over the ends of your colored beads and "frame" them) or very thin spacers. More silver/pewter/gold adds interest and can add to the "richness" of your jewelry.

Bead cap:

Flat (thin) spacer:

Spacer beads:

Personally, I love sterling, bali, thai and pewter beads. I try to stay away from the metalicized plastic, although there are some shapes (especially for little kids bracelets) that aren't made in the other materials. Be warned that most metalicized plastic will feel cheap and won't wear or last. (I detest plastic beads in general, but that is my own personal prejudice...plastic makes me )

There are different allergy levels to some metals as well. I'm going to start a new post with a quote from Rings & Things because I can't link to the page.

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

What is “base metal”?
“Base metal” is a catch-all term in the jewelry industry for metals used in costume jewelry. In metal working, “base metal” is any metal that is not one the “noble” or “precious” metals. The term "precious metals" usually means platinum, gold or silver. Examples of base metals include iron, steel (an alloy of iron and other metals), copper, brass (an alloy of copper and other metals), nickel, lead, and tin.
In costume jewelry, base metals are often plated with gold, silver, nickel or rhodium. Many plated items are plated first with copper. Many gold plated items have a white nickel plate under the final gold plate.

Pewter includes any of the numerous silver-gray alloys of tin with various amounts of antimony, copper and sometimes lead. Because of health hazards, lead is seldom used in pewter today. “Pot metal” and “white metal” are terms for tin-based alloys used in low temperature casting of costume jewelry components. “White metal” castings are usually three-dimensional rather than flat and are often plated. The exact composition of white metal varies, because each casting foundry and shop uses its own proprietary formula. Stamped findings are typically made from brass or copper clad steel sheet. Stamped findings may be plated and are usually one sided, often flat or slightly domed.

Alloys and precious metals
Some years, market "spot" price of gold and silver fluctuate greatly. An immediate effect will be noticed in sterling, gold filled and 14kt wire, sheet, beads and findings. If prices remain particularly high (or low), there will be a similar (but smaller) effect in the prices of silver- and gold-plated items.
14 Karat gold Pure gold is 24kt, meaning 24 parts out of 24 are gold. 24kt is too soft to be functional, so it is alloyed with other metals for durability, cost, and color. 14kt is 14 parts gold out of 24, and the remaining 10 parts are other metals. Depending on the color of gold (which can be yellow, rose, green or white), the other parts may be copper, silver, nickel, zinc, tin, palladium, and/or manganese. (People with nickel allergies should be aware that white gold contains nickel.) All of the 14Kt gold we carry is yellow gold.

Sterling silver, sometimes stamped .925, is an alloy of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper. It is a soft, easy to work with metal, which can be antiqued to a dark black or given a high polish. More sterling silver info

Gold plate is a very thin deposit of gold, electroplated or electrochemically applied to the piece. It is a very small fraction of an inch thick (about 1/1,000-1/1,000,000 of an inch thick). Heavy gold electroplate might be 2 or 3/1000s of an inch thick (this can also be written as 2 or 3 mils). Gold plate vs. gold-filled: gold-filled is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and about 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate.

Gold-filled (also called gold overlay) is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of karat gold to a base of less costly metal. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Tubing is usually seamless, so that only gold touches the body. "Silver-filled" is the same process, using sterling or fine silver. Use care when buffing gold-filled items, to avoid removing the gold layer.
The surface layer of karat gold is usually 10kt, 12kt or 14kt. Also, to know the thickness of the layer, look for a fraction, such as 1/10 or 1/20. It is 1/20 unless otherwise stamped.
Examples:
1/10 10kt GF: 1/10 of the total weight must be 10kt gold.
1/20 12kt GF: 1/20 of the total weight must be 12kt gold.

Regular brass is 70% copper and 30% zinc. Our new red brass wire is 90% copper, and 10% zinc, which gives it a bit warmer color. “Nickel silver” contains no sterling silver, although it is silver in color. Our nickel silver wire is 65% copper, 18% nickel, and 17% zinc. Steel is an alloy of iron and other metals; the surgical stainless steel used in jewelry has approximately 8% nickel.

Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, iron, copper and niobium are elements. Elements are the basic building blocks of chemistry. Metal alloys are mixtures of various elements. Brass is an alloy of copper, zinc and other metals. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver and copper.

Different people are allergic to different things (or, with luck, nothing at all). One of the more common metal allergies that your customers may have is an allergy to nickel. People with slight nickel allergies can usually wear surgical stainless steel for a few hours, or possibly all day. But some people are so sensitive that they cannot even wear watches, or have the buttons on their Levi's touch their skin. For nickel-allergic people, we suggest niobium, sterling silver, 14kt, nickel-free, or plastic ear findings.

Surgical stainless steel, although wearable by the majority of the population, contains a small amount of nickel, usually 8% in jewelry.

The term "nickel-free" can be confusing, because items marked nickel-free are allowed to contain a very small amount of nickel. There is not yet a U.S. standard. The European standard regulates that items labeled nickel-free may not contain more than .05% nickel. In other words, there can’t be more than 1 part in 2,000 that is nickel. All our nickel-free earring findings meet this European standard. (The UK standard is .01% nickel.)
More nickel-free info

There has recently been some concern about lead in jewelry, specifically imported necklaces with pewter WWJD letters. All of our pewter beads and findings are lead-free.

Now...you need to go shopping. Then we'll get into what you do with all your new treasures.

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

Okay, now on to making your first piece. We are going to do simple stringing of a clasp bracelet.

First things first. Measure your wrist using a tape measure or piece of string you can lay down against a ruler. "Average" bracelet size is 7 1/4", which may go up or down a wee bit depending on your beads and the pattern you establish. My wrist is about 6 1/4" and 7 1/4" bracelet fits well...you will want it larger than your actual wrist size to account for bead diameter and also so it will not be too snug. If you are using a toggle clasp, aim for 1/4" smaller than your bracelet size.

Next step: Cut a piece of Beadalon that is 3/4" - 1" longer than your bracelet size. This will allow you to easily pull the ends back into the crimp beads and fasten.

Layout your beads. I use a special beading tray, but you can use a towel or placemat, just something to keep your beads from rolling around. Get your design down so all you will need to do is pick up beads from your pattern and string.

There are two methods to stringing. Either is acceptable, one is easier if you are working from a center-driven (like a letter bracelet) design.

Option 1: Fasten one end of the Beadalon to one end of your clasp. I usually use the "hooked" component of a lobster or spring ring, or the ring component of a toggle for my starting point. To fasten, thread a crimp bead onto the wire. Next, thread your wire through the ring on the clasp. Fold over the wire and string back through the crimp bead. Pull the wire gently to bring the crimp bead to approximately 1/8" close to the clasp. You should have no more than 1/4" wire that comes out of the end of the crimp (where the wire is now doubled up). Using the flat nose or crimp pliers, smash the crimp gently but firmly. (If you are using a crimp pliers, use the larger section first, then turn the crimp bead 1/4 turn and recrimp using the smaller section.) Tug on the loose end of the wire gently to ensure it's tight. Crimps will occasionally, be "bad" and have to be recrimped or replaced if they don't hold. You can now string your beads from your design, making sure that your initial beads have both strands of wire through them (you should not be able to see the short strand sticking out!) and then go to Finishing.

Option 2: Use a small piece of scotch tape to tape one end of your wire. You can fold over the tape, or tape it to your work surface. The idea is that you can then string your beads and it's easier to add to either side or take beads off if your design is too long or too short. When you are satisfied with your stringing, attach the clasp as outlined in Option 1.

Finishing: When you are satisfied with your stringing (and you may want to hold your bracelet against your wrist to be sure it will fit!), you are ready to finish. Thread a crimp bead on the end of your design, and then thread a split ring (NOT a jump ring) or a toggle bar on the wire. Again, pull the end of the wire back through the crimp bead, AND push it through an additional 2-3 beads (or as many as you can). You should have a short, but grabable end poking out between two beads. Grasp the end with your flat nose pliers or needle nosed pliers and tug gently. You want the crimp to move to within 1/8" of the ring or toggle bar end, but not tight. Make sure all the beads are flush, but not so tight they are warping the wire. Crimp the crimp bead in the same manner that you did at the other end.

Again, test your crimp by pulling gently but firmly on the bracelet. Use your nail clippers to clip the loose end of the wire as close to the beads as possible.

There! You are ready to wow them with your custom-made, hand strung jewelry!!

Lynn

[nicholmere]

lynnzop said

Easy advice: Pick out beads you like.

What are your thoughts on Swarovski crystal beads? I tried to view their website http://www.swarovski.com/ but I get an error message:

You are not authorized to view this page
You do not have permission to view this directory or page from the Internet address of your Web browser.

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If you believe you should be able to view this directory or page, please contact the Web site administrator by using the e-mail address or phone number listed on the www.swarovski.com home page.

HTTP 403.6 - Forbidden: IP address rejected
Internet Information Services

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Technical Information (for support personnel)


Background:
This error is caused when the server has a list of IP addresses that are not allowed to access the site, and the IP address you are using is in this list.

More information:
Microsoft Support

[emeleel]

Weird! I can see the site just fine!

[lynnzop[$]]

I adore Swarovski...but I don't know that you can buy the beads through that site, but they are gorgeous and come in a variety of sizes, colors and styles. I got some pink Swarovski pearls yesterday that are absolutely to die for. (Swarovski pearls are extremely high quality simulated pearls - the finish is over a crystal, so the beads are nice and heavy and have a beautiful sheen.)

There are some really good online sources for Swarovski. My favorites are:
www.Rings-things.com (may require a tax ID to set up an account, I don't know...I've had one for so long!)
www.Firemountaingems.com
www.artbeads.com

All of them have really good prices on Swarovski...you are going to pay between .05 and up per bead depending on the style and size you pick. Of course, you can almost always find reasonable prices on eBay for smaller quantities to try out. If you buy on eBay, try to get more than one set of beads/charms/etc., from a single seller because most of them will give you a cut on shipping.

Lynn

[theworm[$]]

Damn you, Lynn!! You are in SOOOO much trouble!!!

So - as long as you got me into this, look here and get me my shopping list. I can do the beads and findings, but is that 4 in one worth it? I don't know!!

[lynnzop[$]]

I don't know without actually looking at it....it sounds like it could get you 3 of the four I have above, but I'm not sure how it could work...

Not much help, am I?

[theworm[$]]

NO!!!
Go to that page, and tell me EXACTLY what to buy!!! OK!!!!

I'll do the findings and wires and beads. I NEED help with tools!

[cristina1]

OK, Lynn - I think you got me hooked, too. I'll run out and do some shopping this week and then give this a shot

[lynnzop[$]]

theworm said

NO!!!
Go to that page, and tell me EXACTLY what to buy!!! OK!!!!

I'll do the findings and wires and beads. I NEED help with tools!

Go take a nap. That's what I did and I feel quite refreshed.

Seriously, go to Mike's or any other large craft store and buy your tools THERE. Don't pay for shipping if you don't need to...I didn't buy a single tool online, I got them all at craft stores.

Buy the first two for sure, and a crimper if you want (I love my crimper but I did without for a few months.)

Happy?

Lynn

[lynnzop[$]]

Oh yeah, and everyone who is sucked in ....be sure to post pics of your handwork! I put mine directly on the scanner to get the best results...but a good digital camera should work as well.

I'm anxious to see what you come up with!!!

Lynn