Creating Beauty with Beading

by Kristyne McDaniel

Beading produces some of the most exquisite jewelry and clothing ever made. The technique has been popular with many cultures for thousands of years. In the Americas, beading has been used by the native residents for as long as anyone can remember. Mainly reserved for special occasion clothing, it also appears in jewelry, headwear, and footwear.

If you love beautiful clothing and jewelry, and have more time than money, beading is a sure way to create almost anything you can imagine. Making beaded jewelry is easy to do, and fun for your children and granchildren as well. If you'd like to get them going on this fascinating hobby, just start making something within their view. The younger they are when you start them out, the more interested they are likely to be. Get your girls going early, and they'll make a lot of their own jewelry to express their own creativity for a small investment in materials.

You may also be interested in using beads in cross-stitch embellishment. You'll find that cross-stitch lends itself easily to embellishment with beading. Adding beads in place of strategic stitches in any design is a great way to create a distinctive and beautiful piece.

Many of the finest wedding dresses are decorated with beadwork. Other uses include hoop earrings, house shoes, wedding favors, christmas ornaments, and beaded purses.

Beading supplies can be purchased from a variety of resources. One favorite resource is Artbeads.com - Your online bead store. You'll find a wide variety of beads, stringing supplies, clasps, and instruction materials.