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Needles For Beaders

There are two types of beading needles on the market: twisted steel needles used when stringing freshwater pearls and gemstones and hard needles for loom, off-loom and bead embroidery. Both come in a variety of sizes, the choice being determined by the size of the hole in the beads, the number of passes you have to make through the hole, the thickness of your stringing material and the technique you choose. Click HERE for more information. Check Needle Tidbits for a brief history on the manufacturing of needles.

Pliers

What pliers do I need? With so many options available, we hope that this information helps you make the best decision.

Most beaders only need a few basic tools when starting up.  Think about the techniques you will be using in your jewellery art and buy accordingly. Add to your collection of tools as you expand your range of skills and then be guided by either your instructor or the book you are using to learn the new technique... Click here to read more.

Adhesives, Glues and Cements

ARE YOU PERPLEXED BY THE CHOICES?

There are so many of these products on the market yet there is no clear statement that helps a lay person to distinguish among them. The word "glue" is derived from the Latin noun "gluten", a protein found in cereal grains but became used for bonding substances derived from natural materials. "Cement", a noun, originally referred to powdered limestone or clay, which when mixed with water would bond bricks together. "Adhesive" is derived from a Latin verb meaning "to stick to". Now all three words are used as nouns and verbs and they are interchangeable so no wonder it is confusing! Click HERE to read more.

Storing your beads

Like most beaders, we have each started out with “just a few beads and findings” which has then grown and grown. Thus we have tried many storage options. There are a number of products on the market “especially designed for beaders” but many are not as useful as one might expect them to be.  Some people find storage units in specialty storage stores, hardware stores or tackle shops that are serviceable but not necessarily “pretty”. We all have our own spin on what is the best for us which is the reason why there are so many options. It is easy, however, to invest in storage systems that you end up discarding because in fact they aren’t as useful as you want. Check our LIST of considerations for choosing storage systems.

Selling your designs…What about pricing?

At Canada Beading Supply, we get a lot of questions about how to price jewellery that is being made from our merchandise. There is no single formula for establishing a price but HERE are some factors to consider.

Fine tuning your designs

Usually it is a good idea to lay out your design on a bead board or a neutral coloured bead mat to give a sense how the end result will look. HERE are some ideas to help you when something doesn’t look “quite right”.