Bead Weaving

Bead Weaving: Techniques and Methods

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Bead weaving is a technique for creating fabric-like sheets or three-dimensional objects by stringing or stitching together small beads, such as seed beads, using a needle and fine thread or wire. This intricate craft can be carried out either on a specialised bead loom or by hand, using a range of stitches. The results are detailed patterns suitable for jewellery, accessories, and decorative art.

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Methods of Bead Weaving

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Loom Bead Weaving

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Loom bead weaving utilises a bead loom equipped with stationary warp threads (vertical), alongside a needle and thread for the weft (horizontal), which passes through the beads. When weaving on a loom, beads are strung on the weft threads and then locked in between the warp threads. While loomed pieces are typically rectangular, it is possible to increase or decrease the weave to create angular or curving shapes. Fringe can also be added either during the weaving process or before removing the piece from the loom.

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Frame Looms

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The most common modern technique for loom bead weaving involves two passes of the weft thread for each row of beads. First, an entire row of beads is threaded onto the weft. The beads are then pressed in between the warp threads from below. After this, the needle is passed back through the beads, but this time above the warp threads, locking the beads securely in place.

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Bead looms come in various sizes and are usually made from wood or metal. A comb or spring is often used to keep the warp threads a bead’s width apart, although other mechanisms, such as a threaded rod, can also be used. Some looms are fitted with roller bars, allowing the creation of pieces longer than the loom itself. Most looms are designed to sit on a table, but some have floor stands or are intended to rest in the lap. Occasionally, inexpensive looms are fashioned from styrofoam trays, with the warp threads wrapped through evenly spaced slits cut into opposite edges.

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Off-Loom Bead Weaving

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Off-loom bead weaving involves using a needle and thread to create various patterns and shapes without the aid of a loom. This family of beadwork techniques allows seed beads to be woven into flat fabrics, tubular ropes, or three-dimensional objects such as balls, clasps, boxes, or pieces of jewellery. Most off-loom techniques can be achieved with a single needle and thread, though some methods have two-needle variations. The different stitches employed produce pieces with distinct textures, shapes, and patterns.

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There are many off-loom bead weaving stitches, including some developed as recently as 2015, each with its own thread path and effect:

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• Albion stitch (developed by Heather Kingsley-Heath, published May 2009)

• Brick stitch (also known as Comanche or Cheyenne stitch)

• Chevron stitch (a triangular form of bead netting)

• Diamond weave (developed by Gerlinde Lenz, published August 2015)

• Herringbone stitch (also known as Ndebele stitch)

• Hubble stitch and wave hubble stitch (created by Melanie de Miguel, published 2015)

• Netting (specifically bead netting)

• Peyote stitch (also known as gourd stitch)

• Plaiting (multiple threads crossed as in a plait or braid, using beads to join the crossings)

• Pondo stitch (also known as African circle stitch)

• Right-angle weave

• Saint Petersburg chain

• Square stitch (an off-loom stitch mimicking the appearance of loomed beadwork)

• Ladder stitch (a foundation stitch for building a base for brick stitch or herringbone stitch)

• Triangle weave

 

Spiral Bead Weaving Stitches

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• Cellini spiral (a tubular peyote stitch)

• Dutch spiral

• African helix

• Russian spiral

• Chenille

 

Historical Context

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Bead weaving is an ancient craft with historical examples found in numerous cultures around the world, including among North American and African Indigenous peoples. For centuries, it has been used to create ceremonial items, garments, and jewellery, reflecting deep and enduring cultural traditions.

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What do you need to bead:

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• Seed beads

• Beading loom

• Beading wire

• Beading needle

• Design sheets

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Optional Extras:

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