BEADING-JEWELRY MAKING

Bees Wax or Microcrystalline Wax: keeps thread from fraying; protects thread from adverse perfumes, oils, and body chemicals; adds layer of protection from the sharp holes of beads. The microcrystalline wax (synthetic) does everything the bees wax (natural) does, only better. It's also considerably less sticky to work with.

Thread Heaven: conditions the thread so that it doesn't get tangled up and knotted while you are working with it. This is NOT a wax substitute.

NEEDLES

NOTE: Beading thread is like a ribbon, and the shape of the hole of a beading needle is rectangular. Sewing thread is like round cord, and the shape of a sewing needle is round.

ENGLISH BEADING NEEDLES: These needles are used with seed bead projects. They are long and thin. The size of the bead should be a larger number than the size of the needle, thus an 11/0 seed bead would require a #12 or higher numbered needle. The most popular sizes are #12 and #13, and these work well with 0 and 00 sized nymo thread. If you are making necklaces and bracelets where you will not have to go back through the bead more than a few times, you might want to use the #10 size needle, even with 11/0 beads. The number #10 is popular in the shop because it has a larger eyehole than the other needles.

PONY BEADING NEEDLES. A less expensive version of the English Beading Needles. More brittle and bendable, but a lot less pricey, as well.

TWISTED WIRE STEEL NEEDLES: These needles are twisted wire with a loop at one end. They are used to go through beads when the regular straight
needles can't fit, such as when you've gone through a bead many times with the thread. Most people like to have three sizes
of these on hand.

SHARPS NEEDLES : These beading needles are short, a little more than half the size of the regular English Beading needles.

BIG EYE NEEDLES: These beading needles have two pieces of metal attached at either end of the needle, so that the "hole" is almost the full length of the needle. These are great to use with Organza Ribbon .

PEARL STRINGING NEEDLE: This needle is often used as an extra long loom needle. 125mm.

0000 (4-aught) SIZE KNITTING NEEDLE: This needle is used to do bead crocheting or bead knitting. Most people glue a bead to one end, so they don't stick themselves with the needle while using it to bead-crochet.

TULIP NEEDLES: Best quality beading needle.

SIZING CONES