That Bead Shop

Hints and Tips

CRIMPING WITH GREEK SPRINGS
You can finish cord ends in one of two ways. For both methods, you first feed the cord up into the coil end with loop. The first is fast and easy. After feeding the cord into the coil, crimp the end of the loop flat over the cord with flat-faced pliers (as shown in photo 1) then simply attach a clasp to the ring. The second takes a little time but offers a more... Read More

WRAP IT UP
If you have trouble trying to contain the tangled ends of your beading wires and threads, try wrapping your spools, cards, and bobbins with cling wrap. Simply cut a piece off the roll, stretch it over the item you need to wrap and press it firmly against itself. The cling wrap will stick until you unwrap it and can be reused endlessly. This is also a great produc... Read More

CLEANING BEADS
Beads can be found in a number of different locations, because a true beader can never have enough. Whether you find them at garage sales, underneath the couch or between the cushions on your favourite lounge, chances are that they are coated in dust and lint or mixed with all sorts of things. Here's a hint to help you easily clean and separate those bonus... Read More

CLEANING AND CARE OF PEARLS
You should store your pearls in a soft jewelry pouch away from direct sunlight and dry heat, but never in an airtight container. When you are wearing your pearls you should ensure that you apply your cosmetics and hair spray before you put them on. Fingernail polish, perfume, deodorant, hair spray, ammonia, or any alcohol based solvents will cause damage to the ... Read More

GET THE KINKS OUT
Here's a quick and easy way to remove kinks and curls from leather cord and waxed cotton cord. Cut a piece of cord 1 inch longer than the desired length of your finished piece. Thoroughly soak the cord in water. Attach a heavy "C"-clamp on each end of the cord. Hook one clamp on a clothes hanger with the other hanging freely. Once the cord is compl... Read More

COLOUR WHEEL
Not everyone is gifted with a great eye for picking colour combinations. If you struggle with colour combinations and colours for your beadwork, a COLOUR WHEEL can help you to more easily define and understand colour relationships and combinations. A COLOUR WHEEL, as in the simple version shown here, is arranged so any two primary colours (red, yellow, blue) ar... Read More

BETTER CRIMPING TECHNIQUE
Crimping right next to the clasp can seriously weaken your beading project. One alternative is to place a crimp between the final bead on your piece and the clasp. The bead will act as a buffer between the clasp which is always the most heavily handled part of the piece and the metal crimp which secures your valuable project. Another way to do it is to place a cr... Read More

EASY COLOUR SELECTIONS
Everyone gets inspired at some point in time to try new beading ideas, but a lot of people get stuck when it comes to choosing the right colours to carry out their inspired ideas. Fortunately there are many helpful brochures available to stop you from having to agonise over the colour selections for your next fabulous project. Head into the paint department at y... Read More

THREAD CONDITIONING
Not all beading instructions specify the product to use as a preferred thread conditioner, which to the majority of beaders can cause a great deal of confusion. Bees wax and Thread Heaven are two different thread treatments that are not usually interchangable. Thread Heaven is a chemical compound that gives thread a static charge, so that the tail and the workin... Read More