Beadwork Beading Tutorials

Top 10 Free Bead Patterns

Double spiral rope bracelet tutorial

The Spruce / Lisa Yang

If you are ready for a wide variety of beading projects, look no further. These jewelry designs incorporate a many different types beading stitches and techniques. You can follow these patterns exactly or make the resulting jewelry reflect your personal style. Have fun and get beading!

  • 01 of 10

    Leather Bead Wrap Bracelet

    Leather Wrap Bead Bracelet
    Use loom weaving techniques with leather to make a trendy bracelet Lisa Yang

    Bead and leather wrap bracelets are incredibly versatile and popular to make. It's easy to see why. The design is simple but has endless combinations. Make it your own by changing the color of the leather cord, varying the length of the bracelet (and therefore the number of times the bracelet wraps around the wrist), and the types, colors, and sizes of beads.

    This bracelet uses a technique similar to loom bead weaving, but you don't need a loom to get started making these bracelets.

  • 02 of 10

    Hoop Earrings with Brick Stitch Beading

    Brick stitch is a perfect way to weave rows of beads on the inside of ready-made metal hoops or connectors. The embellished beaded shapes make beautiful earring drops and pendants. This free tutorial will show you how to turn basic hoop earrings into works of art.

  • 03 of 10

    Fancy Tila Tile Bracelet

    Tila beads are two-hole tile beads. Use them to weave a wide bracelet cuff or a thinner bracelet using the fancy tile bracelet pattern. This is a great project that will allow you to learn the basics of working with two hole beads.

  • 04 of 10

    Emerald City Flat Spiral Bracelet

    Emerald City Flat Spiral Bracelet
    Emerald City Flat Spiral Bracelet Lisa Yang

    The Emerald City bracelet uses a flat spiral stitch. It's one of the more simple beading stitches that is easy to learn. The result is a flexible beadwork chain that highlights a center crystal or bead.  It can be used for bracelets or necklaces.

    The best part of this pattern is how versatile it is.  It can be made with a wide variety of beads, both down the center and on the sides.  Once you are familiar with the basic weave, try adding more variety in color and size to explore the full array of options with this stitch.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below
  • 05 of 10

    Peyote Stitch Russian Leaves

    Peyote stitch Russian leaves
    © Lisa Yang

    Russian leaves have become a classic beadwork design in recent years. While they look difficult, they are not. These Russian Leaves use diagonal peyote stitch, a variation of flat peyote stitch.  

    The resulting leaves are beautiful when done in a single color, but simple variations like changing the border bead color on the inside or out (or both!) can yield incredible results. Other options are ombre shades of beads or creating other patterns within the leaves.

  • 06 of 10

    Crystal Bead Loom Cuff Bracelet

    Completed Loom Bracelet
    Lisa Yang

    Many people can be intimidated to get started with loom bead weaving. There's a whole world of new terms like warp threads and weft threads. Loom bead weaving is fast and goes even faster when you learn with larger crystal beads like this bead weaved cuff bracelet.

    Dust off your bead loom and get started today!

  • 07 of 10

    Easy Spiral Rope Bracelet

    Spiral Rope Tutorial
    Lisa Yang

    Spiral rope stitch is one of the easiest stitches to learn. It makes quick and easy bracelets and necklace chains. Like all beadwork designs, you can also make your spiral rope captivatingly complex with the variety of sizes and colors beads you incorporate in the jewelry.

  • 08 of 10

    Ladder Stitch Layering Bracelet

    Ladder Bracelet with Charm
    Lisa Yang

    Ladder stitch is all too often overlooked as a primary beadwork stitch. It's usually used as a base stitch for herringbone stitch and brick stitch. On its own, ladder stitch makes a sturdy and slinky bracelet band that can be embellished with charm dangles.

    Continue to 9 of 10 below
  • 09 of 10

    Double Spiral Rope Bracelet

    Double spiral rope bracelet tutorial
    © Lisa Yang

    Once you have mastered the basic spiral rope stitch, try the double spiral rope stitch. This full, wide rope has depth and interest beyond most rope stitches. Using smaller size beads such as size 15 will allow you to have the fullness and complexity of design, without the thick size.

  • 10 of 10

    Daisy Chain Tutorial

    Connected Daisy Chain Tutorial
    Lisa Yang

    Daisy chain is one of the all-time classic beadwork stitches; it's often the first that people learn. It has so much to offer as a chain for beadwork pendants or a layering bracelet. Altering the bead color pattern can make the flowers recede into the background and still results in a strong and quick chain.