No matter how careful you are when you bead, mistakes still happen. But the good news is that you can correct these mistakes and still go on to finish a beautiful piece of beadwork or beaded jewelry. This list is some of the most common mistakes that happen in beadwork and how you can correct them.
1. Splitting Your Thread
Jennifer VanBenschoten
If you use nylon beading thread like Nymo or Silamide, there's always the chance that you might accidentally pierce the thread with your needle as you stitch - also known as splitting your thread. This can weaken your thread and might eventually lead to holes in your beadwork.
If you don't correct a split thread when you find it, the remainder of your thread can be affected and might even snap or break while you are still beading. It's always best to go back and correct a split thread as soon as you see it in your beadwork.
Splitting a thread generally isn't an issue when using gel-spun or fishing line type threads.
2. Remove a Knot from Beading Thread
Knots happen all the time when you are beading. Stretching and conditioning your beading thread can help prevent knots, but for projects that use longer lengths of beading thread, tangles and knots are almost unavoidable.
If you do find a knot in your beading thread, don't panic. It's better to try and work the knot loose instead of continuing to stitch with a knot in your thread. A knot in your thread while you stitch can lead to a weak spot in your beadwork and might cause your project to fall apart later on.
If you can't remove the knot using one of these methods, it's better to clip your thread, tearing out any rows and stitches as necessary, and start a new thread.
3. Tearing Out Stitches
Jennifer VanBenschoten
If you do have to remove some beading stitches or rows from your beadwork, it is always better to remove your needle and then remove or tear out the stitches. Trying to "stitch backwards" through the beads almost never works, and it usually results in tangles, knots and split threads.
As difficult as it might seem to re-thread your needle after removing it from your beading thread and removing your stitches, it can be even worse if you find yourself with a mess of knotted, tangled thread and beads!
4. How to Break a Bead
Jennifer VanBenschoten
You might discover that you have incorrectly placed a bead in your beadwork. If you want to simply remove the bead, you can do this by using a pair of flat nose or chain nose pliers. Make sure that you position your pliers correctly around the bead to avoid accidentally cutting your thread when you break the bead.
As always, make sure you wear proper safety glasses or shield your eyes when breaking a bead to mkae sure that you don't accidentally get a piece of flying glass in your eye.