The use of beads for decorating clothes began in the Stone Age. These were large shell or ivory beads. What is now called beadwork using small beads is also a fairly old skill. In ancient Egypt, there were products made using small earthenware beads. Some of them are 4,000 years old. Nowadays, many different subtypes of glass and plastic are used to make beads. Materials have become stronger and cheaper, because everyone can afford to decorate clothes or create an accessory from small colorful balls.
The art of creating jewelry
Beadwork has been a popular type of needlework for several millennia. Materials for him are changing, and the technique is being improved. But the basis is still a few simple tricks and methods that needlewomen from around the world use to create jewelry. Bracelets, earrings and pendants, as well as hair accessories, are created from beads. Often, the same scheme is used for various crafts. A pendant made of beads is woven with the same ornament as the earrings or create a bracelet for them. Thus, sets of jewelry are obtained that resonate with each other and harmonize with a certain style of clothing. Therefore, you can consider the scheme of pendants made of beads and use them to make earrings or bracelets to your taste. It is permissible to make such an ornament in several ways.
Handmade weaving pendant
There are many weaving techniques, but beginners are usually recommended to start with the most understandable ones. For example, manual weaving contains at its core one of the simplest patterns. Pendants, pendants made of beads can be made on a special machine or without it. In each case, the process will be slightly different. In hand weaving, all beads are grid-aligned with straight horizontal rows and vertical columns.
If you decide to weave with your hands, you need to study the square stitch. Performing it, you should move forward and return back through the bead, changing direction with each row. This option is most convenient for small stitched or flat items where installing a loom and weaving at the ends of the threads will be less practical. Schemes of pendants made from beads and beads in this technique can even be drawn independently on a sheet of paper from a notebook into a cage. Gathering beads, it is enough to simply calculate the right amount of a certain color in each row.
Where to begin
First, collect all the materials for beadwork and prepare a needle with a thread. Draw a diagram or print it on the Internet. When you are ready to start weaving, pick up all the beads for the first horizontal row of beadwork and gently slide them down to the nodular bead. Hold all the beads between the index finger and thumb of your hand so that they stay together. Then grab the first bead for the second row. If you are left-handed, you can pull and hold the first row of beads from right to left, and not from left to right, as shown in most schemes. A pendant made of beads will not suffer from this, and it will be more convenient for you to work.
Weaving process
After passing the needle and thread through the first ball of the row in place, pass it through the last bead in the first row, pulling the thread. It is important to tighten it tightly. Then again pass the thread through the bead of the first row. Hold a new bead between your index finger and thumb and thread a couple of jerks to increase tension. For most designs, it is recommended to tighten the weave in this way after each row. So it will become stronger. The second row of flat square stitches may be the most difficult. Take your time and don't be discouraged if you fail the first time. You can always untangle the thread and start over. This bead pendant design using the manual weaving technique allows you to easily do this. The weaving process will become easier as soon as your canvas increases in length. For the next row, raise the next bead, and then pass the thread through the bead directly below it, going in the opposite direction.
Weaving on the machine
Consider another way to create jewelry. Do-it-yourself pendants made of beads, patterns for which were created on the basis of the manual weaving technique, can be made using the machine. It is easy to make it yourself from a cardboard box with strong sides. On opposite sides, you need to make cuts at the same distance from each other and stretch the threads between them, one more than the beads in a row. The patterns of weaving a pendant from beads will be slightly different. In the upper corner at the beginning of weaving, a bundle with a thread is fixed and the right amount of beads is gathered on it. They are placed between the threads, and then the needle is held in the opposite direction through the entire row. The next row is performed in the same way, due to which an even canvas with the desired pattern is formed.
How to finish weaving
Repeat the assembly process, each time changing direction, until you finish. Many craftsmen find it useful to re-sew the entire first row, and then thread the entire previous row to align the beads and tighten the stitches. If you feel that the beads are not completely aligned or loose, you can try to do this after completing every second row. Fastening the thread is very simple. It is enough to pass the thread through several previous rows and bring it to the central part of the product to cut it. After that, the bead pendant using the manual weaving technique will be completed.