Free Seed Bead Patterns

From LoveToKnow Crafts

Free seed bead patterns can be used to help you make a variety of fun items for your home. Although seed beads are commonly associated with jewelry making, they are a remarkably versatile craft supply.

Seed beads can be used to make many items for your home.
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About Seed Beads

Seed beads are tiny circular beads that can be purchased wherever jewelry making supplies are sold. The most popular seed bead size is 11/0, but you can find beads ranging from 24/0 to 5/0. In most cases, seed beads are either sold by weight or available for purchase in multi strand units known as hanks.

Seed beads come in every color of the rainbow. You can find neutral colored beads, as well as soft pastels and vibrant jewel tones. There are bronze, silver, and copper lined beads in addition to beads with translucent, matte, opaque, and luster finishes. Seed beads labeled as Charlotte cuts have a single facet per bead to add extra sparkle.

When you’re shopping for seed beads, it’s helpful to check where your beads were made. The highest quality seed beads tend to be from Japan or the Czech Republic. Japanese seed beads have a uniform look that makes them great for projects where the beads need to fit together closely. Czech beads are slightly donut shaped and lend an organic appearance to your work. Lower quality beads are often made in India, Taiwan, or China and can have a highly irregular finish or poorly drilled holes that make them difficult to work with.

Bugle beads are similar to seed beads, but have a longer length that gives them a tubular shape.

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Free Seed Bead Patterns for Home Décor

Many people associated seed beads with jewelry making, since these delicate beads are often used as spacers between larger beads or as the basis for multi-strand bracelets and necklaces. However, seed beads can be used to create a variety of home décor projects as well. Beads add a perfect touch of sparkle to vases, picture frames, storage tins, and other fun accessories. Some home décor projects that use seed beads require stringing the beads, while others simply use a strong adhesive to keep the beads in place.

If you’re looking for free seed bead patterns for home décor projects online, check out the following helpful links:

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Tips for Using Seed Beads

If you’re never worked with seed beads before, the following tips will make your first project much easier to complete:

  • Remember, seed beads are a choking hazard and should always be kept away from children and pets.
  • Make sure your craft area has an adequate light source. Because seed beads are so tiny, eyestrain can be a serious problem for many crafters.
  • Take frequent breaks when working with intricate projects. Stretching is important to prevent straining your neck and back when working with small seed beads.
  • Cover your work area with a bead mat to keep your beads from slipping and rolling.
  • Synthetic beeswax, also known as microcrystalline wax, can be used as a thread conditioner to help keep your thread from tangling during projects that involve stringing.
  • When working with double sided craft tape, maintain the strength of the adhesive by using a craft knife to peel the protective backing off in small sections.
  • A triangle scoop makes it easy to clean up your beads when you’re finished working.
  • When working with seed beads of various sizes and colors, consider storing your leftover beads as a “bead soup” mixture that will make it easier to create a coordinating look for future projects.
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Comments

I love to work with seed beads.

-- Contributed by: janene wallace

this site is very good

-- Contributed by: melissa

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