Free Beading Tutorials!
Learn how to make Beaded Bobby Pins, Beaded Daisy Chain jewellery, French beaded butterflies... and more from Amy.
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French and Victorian Beading Technique
Tutorials by others here.
Daisy Chain Tutorial
Measure out a generous length of beading thread and thread it onto a seed-beading needle, or cut a length of 30 guage beading wire and follow these instructions:
Use a stopper bead, crimp or knot to stop your beads from sliding off the end.
Make a circle, these will be your petals. These pictures show gaps, but always pull tight at each step.
Push the centre bead into the circle, it may try to pop out as you pull the thread tight.
Repeat above steps until you have reached your desired length. You may need to vary the bead count depending on your bead sizes to form a nice flower, and length may need to be adjusted by changing how many spacer beads (in green) you use between flowers. Finish a wired chain for a ring by threading through the first bead against the direction you have been beading. Thread through several more beads for strength and tie off either by wrapping wire in between two beads, skipping a bead and backthreading, or looping the wire around and threading it back throught the last bead you've been through in the same direction you've been beading.
Beaded Bobby Pin (Basic) Tutorial
Measure out 30cm of 30, 28 or 26 guage beading wire, fold in half and insert the bent end in between the prongs of the bobby pin and follow the instructions below:
These pictures show gaps, but always pull tight at each step.
Repeat above steps until you reach the rubbered end of the bobby pin. To finish, wrap bare wire around the bobby pin end a few times to secure and cut away excess.
Beaded Butterfly Tutorial
To make a pair of my French beaded butterflies ...
You will need:
26 guage Parawire (or equivalent)
1.5 strands pre-strung Czech size 11/0 seed beads (or your prefered beads, can also be hand-strung or spun-strung from loose beads)
Side cutters
Pliers (optional)
String 1 and 1/2 strands (or 25 inches) of your beads onto the open end of the wire spool.
'Crimp' the end so your beads won't fall off.
Take six beads and move them to within an inch or more of the crimped end of your wire. This wire end will be cut off later, so use whatever length you are comfortable with using just as leverage and to grip. Loop the wire and beads so that there are as few gaps as possible.
Hold the loop between your forefinger and thumb and either twist (gripping both wires) or wrap (one wire piece around the other) once so that the loop is secure.
Still holding your piece the same way up, take your spool end beaded wire and wrap beads around the first loop as tightly as possible for minimal gaps. Again grip the loops and wrap the wire around once.
Repeat, keeping beads close together until you have 4 rows beaded.
Wrap wire around at least 2 more times to secure the wing. Now you have one large wing of your butterfly completed.
Make another six bead loop 1/2 an inch away from the first wing and repeat previous steps until you have four rows and have completed your second large wing.
Like this:
Swing your crimped end wire around the back and up and use your beaded wire to form a loop of 9 beads 1/4 of an inch below the larger wings.
Wrap a row of beads around the 9 bead loop and wrap the wire twice.
Swing the beaded wire behind and up.
Bring the wire over and around to the front.
Start your last wing with a 9 bead loop 1/4 of an inch down the wire away from the larger wings.
Wrap twice and swing the wire up and to the front.
Wrap both wire ends around the centre wires twice finishing at the back.
Cut away your end wires close to the butterfly, making sure not to nip anything else!
...and you're done! I like to seal the pokey bits where wire has been cut with Gemtac before I use it in jewellery or accessories just to make sure there's no scratching and for some extra security. I also make sure I wire these guys onto whatever I am making with them as well as gluing.
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