5 Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Beaders

When you're just starting out, it can be tempting to jump into a beading project or tackle a pattern using whatever beads you have on hand. Unfortunately, this often leads to unsatisfactory results: you're beadwork may not lie flat or hold its intended shape, beads may appear to be spaced incorrectly, or your completed design simply may not "look" right and you can't figure out why.

Before you chalk this up to faulty technique, consider whether the real culprits are your beads. If you use beads that are even slightly different from those called for by a project's instructions — in size, shape, or even manufacturer — your beadwork is bound to look different from the example. That's because minor variations in bead geometry are compounded by the large number of beads in most beadwork.

With experience, you'll learn to select appropriate substitute beads for the projects and patterns you encounter. In the meantime, stick to project instructions as closely as possible.

If there's one thing that annoys beginning beaders the most, it's the thought of having to stop multiple times mid-project to add new beading thread. To avoid this, you might try stitching with an extra-long length of thread that will last a long time. But long thread has its own set of drawbacks. First, it can snag on just about anything, from your shoelaces to the corner of your work table. Second, long thread is more likely to tangle than shorter thread. The time you spend teasing apart tangles and picking at knots can quickly exceed the time you save by switching thread less often.

Another problem with extra-long thread is that it makes each stitch require more work, at least initially. When you pass through a bead in your beadwork, you need to pull the thread, stop, pull the thread some more, stop, and maybe even pull some more — just to complete one stitch. When you work with shorter thread, you can get away with just one or two pulls with each stitch, which means your project gets completed faster.

The solution? Start out by pulling just one arm span of thread at a time (that's the length between your hands when you hold them all the way out at your sides). And be patient about adding new thread; you'll get comfortable with it over time.

Thread tension affects how your beadwork drapes. When tension is too tight, beadwork curls or puckers, and when it's too loose, beadwork is floppy and may appear to have holes. There's no getting around the fact that it takes practice to achieve perfect thread tension. However, you can expedite the process by picking up some good habits early on. Most importantly, learn to give the thread a gentle tug after completing every stitch. (Make that a hard tug for projects that call for "tight" tension.)

Also notice how the way you handle your beadwork affects thread tension. For example, you might find that if you pause and set down your beadwork, the tension loosens. Be sure to give the thread a few tugs before you begin stitching again, to avoid leaving a loose area with gaps between beads.

Tip: Although overly tight thread tension is permanent, it's often possible to correct tension that's too loose.

Thread splitting occurs when you inadvertently pass your needle through thread in your beadwork. It usually causes the last bead stitched to twist, rather than snapping into place and lying flat. Split thread also creates weak spots in you beadwork and makes it more difficult to tear out beadwork to correct a mistake.

Fortunately, most beads used for beadweaving have large holes that allow for multiple, clean passes of thread. You can avoid splitting thread by positioning your needle as far away as possible from existing thread within each bead.

There are many beadweaving stitches and techniques to learn, and not all of them will become your favorites. But try not to limit yourself by developing stitch phobias. A common beginner stitch phobia involves odd-count flat peyote stitch. All of that weaving around through the beadwork to reposition the needle can seem daunting, especially compared to the ease of stitching even-count flat peyote. However, odd-count flat peyote gives you some interesting design possibilities that otherwise are difficult or impossible to achieve — such as centering motifs and making shaped beadwork. If you avoid this stitch, you'll limit your creativity pretty drastically.

Select the stitches that you'd like to learn based on their end results. If you like what a stitch can do, you should pursue it. Just be patient, and keep in mind that all of the beadweaving stitches are doable. And even the more complicated techniques will become easier with practice.