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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

How to Use a Bead Board for Beaded Jewelry

Bead boards provide a simple way for beaded jewelry makers to organize their beading projects. These beading accessories are usually plastic trays covered with a fuzzy coating, or flocking. This surface helps prevent beads from rolling around on the bead board. These bead boards can be found in many sizes and types. They all have various wells and channels in them, usually with measuring marks.

These spaces are used to arrange the beads for necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry projects.

Choosing the Right Bead Board for a Jewelry Project

If you make many types of beaded jewelry, a large bead board with various types and sizes of spaces is your best bet. An all encompassing bead board would have multiple long, curved channels, several smaller spaces to hold beads, and even a section where you can pin beaded earrings. If you specialize in bracelets or necklaces, you will need a flocked bead board that includes long, measured channels for designing and stringing beads.

Use a Bead Board to Make a Necklace

Designing a beaded jewelry necklace on a bead board is very easy. Place your bead board in front of you on a flat surface and get out your beads. It is a good idea to start your necklace beaded jewelry project with the center bead. This holds true whether you intend to have an accent bead there or not.

Place the center bead at the lowest point of the curved slot in your bead board. This should be indicated by a mark on the measuring line. Then, simply lay out the beads on either side of the center bead at the same time. This ensures that your beaded necklace will be symmetrical.

After the bead layout is complete, it is time to thread your needle and string the beads together. Making a bracelet beaded jewelry project with a bead board is done in the same way.

The sections on the bead board that are simply open spaces or wells are useful for holding the beads needed for an exact beaded jewelry project. These bead board spaces can also hold thread, beaded jewelry findings, and needles.

Using a bead board for beaded jewelry making makes designing and completing the projects easier. Since many beads are round, they ten to roll off tables or trays. Bead boards prevent this, therefore reducing loss of expensive or favorite beads. Their varied channels and spaced make laying out and completing necklaces, bracelets, and earrings simple.

Learn more about this author, Melanie Marten.


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1 comment:

  1. To make beaded jewelry, bead board is useful to make proper bead in proper arrangement. To make beaded jewelry on a bead board is very easy. Thank you for sharing.
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