The good news is, unlike painting, sculpting and ceramics, beading is a relatively inexpensive art to pursue. The bad news – if you can really call it that – is that beading requires just as much effort and dedication to reach a high standard of artistic work. Like a lot of pursuits, it’s easy to look at the finished product and think, ‘I could do that’ but try it and you’ll soon discover it’s not quite as effortless as it looks!

There’s a long road of learning between threading together a string of pony beads and covering a handbag with an intricate seed bead design but it is definitely achievable. The important factor is to start small and add challenges as your confidence grows. One great plus is that beading is utterly addictive - once you start, you’ll be hooked!

There are some very good books around covering all types of beading techniques, and you’ll even find sites on the internet dedicated to helping beaders at all stages improve their craft. You have to start somewhere, and it’s essential to know about the basic stitches and what effects they create.

Peyote stitch

Peyote stitch is one of the most popular off-loom beadwork techniques in the world today. There are a number of different types of peyote stitches, some easier to master than others. There are ‘even count’, ‘odd count’, ‘tubular even count’, ‘tubular odd count’ and ‘flat round’ peyote stitches. All ‘tubular odd’ peyote stitches create patterns that resemble a range of hills, the top of the hill is visible on the even numbered beads in a row when using ‘even count’ and on the odd numbered when using ‘odd count’. You can also use two beads at a time, which is called ‘two drop’. It is a very flexible stitch, and lots of different patterns can be made out of peyote stitches but ‘tubular odd’ stitches will not make symmetrical designs.

 
Netting stitch

As the name implies, netting uses beads to make a pattern like a net. It’s sometimes also called latticework. This stitch produces an open, lacy effect and as a result bracelets and necklaces drape beautifully around the wrist and neck. Netting stitch was very popular in Victorian times, although it is much older than that, dating back to ancient Egypt and Rome. Netted beads can be stitched onto fabrics or used to make items like handbags and jewellery. You can use pony beads and even the smallest seed beads to make beaded netting.

Square stitch

Square stitching means beads are sewn together to form a regular, continuous shape that looks rather like a flat piece of fabric. Upon first glance, you could easily be mistaken for thinking that a square stitch piece of beadwork was created on a loom. It’s one of the easiest stitches to learn and one with many uses. Because the thread goes through each bead several times, it’s also one of the hardest wearing beading techniques. It’s very uniform to look at but can be livened up by using different coloured beads to form images and patterns.

Brick stitch

Brick stitch (sometimes called Comanche stitch) is a very popular stitch with beaders because of its versatility. As you might expect, the resulting pattern resembles brickwork. It’s an ideal stitch to use when making triangular shapes as it allows beaders to drop and take up beads with relative ease. It is a more solid stitch and is used for creating an array of beaded items, from simple bracelets to amulet purses and freestanding three dimension beadwork pieces.

Ndebele or Herringbone stitch

Ndebele (pronounced ehn-duh-bel-ay) is a herringbone stitch originating in Africa, although the style was also used in ancient Egypt. Ndebele is actually not as difficult to do as it is to pronounce, and the results are very pleasing. With herringbone stitch there are endless possibilities; try increasing and decreasing stitches and you’ll quickly create some beautiful shapes and textures. Ndebele stitch works well with both seed and tubular beads.

About the Author:
 Tracy Stillman is a freelance writer and the owner of Not Just Beadz, an online bead shop which provides quality beads and beading supplies at affordable prices. http://www.notjustbeadz.com