Using a Dish Towel as a Beading Surface

If you find yourself in need of a good, cheap beading surface, try using a clean, light-colored dish towel. Dish towels can be purchased at most grocery stores and even some dollar stores. Of course, you can always splurge and buy a higher quality dish towel at a bed and bath store or from a department store.

A clean dish towel spread out on a table or lap desk can make a perfectly good beading surface in a pinch. The beads won’t roll around and away from you, and all you have to do is roll up the towel when you are done and stash it in your bag.

It also makes a great place to park your extra needles when stitching. Just make sure that you remove all needles from your dish towel and store them in a needle case or needle holder before you store your dish towel. You also need to take care not to get the tip of your needle stuck in the dish towel while picking up beads.

Pros:

• Inexpensive and widely available
• Easy to store
• Light color makes beads easy to see

Cons:

• If you can't find a light colored dish towel, a darker color may make it difficult to see your beads
• Care should be taken to avoid getting the tip of your needle stuck in the dish towel when picking up beads