The focus of this category is on beading, the art or craft of attaching beads to one another by stringing them onto a thread or thin wire with a sewing or beading needle, or sewing them to cloth. Most beadwork is used as jewelry or personal adornment.
Beadwork techniques can be divided into several categories, including loom and off-loom weaving, stringing, bead embroidery, beach crochet, bead knitting, and bead tatting, as well as the related discipline of glass bead making.
Beading is a creative act that has gone on for millennia. For hobbyists, crafters, and artists, beading is more than a form of production; it is a tactile meditation. The makers choose every bead, color, and stitch. The pieces made often carry stories, family histories, tribal identities, and personal visions. Imperfections may be viewed as signatures of the human touch. The process might be more significant than the product, although veteran beaders have produced some impressive beadwork.
Beads appear in archaeological digs dating back over 100,000 years. Early materials included bone, shell, and ostrich egg shells. These simple perforated discs served as personal adornment and tokens of social status.
With the advent of metallurgy during the Bronze and Iron Ages came metal beads made of bronze, copper, and later silver and gold. Beads adorned garments and ritual objects from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley, reflecting evolving techniques in casting, hammering, and granulation.
Mayan and Aztec cultures used jade and shell beads, symbolizing fertility, power, and the favor of the gods. Meanwhile, along the West African coast, trade routes brought glass beads from the Mediterranean, and local artisans adapted them into elaborate waist belts and headdresses that persist to this day.
The 20th century saw beads reemerge in haute couture, craft movements, and folk revivals. Designers like Coco Chanel popularized pearl strands, while the arts and crafts movement in the West encouraged individual craftsmanship.
Today's studio artists meld traditional stitches with avant-garde materials, including metallic seed beads, acrylics, recycled glass, and even LED elements. Galleries exhibit intricately beaded sculptures, and social media platforms showcase daily bead art.
Local guilds, online forums, and international festivals facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Artisans teach each other stitches, color theory, and how to source rare beads, thereby reinforcing the collaborative nature of beading as a craft.
Bead weaving interlaces beads into fabric-like structures using a needle and thread. Common stitches include loom weaving, which produces tight, uniform strips ideal for bracelets and belts, and off-loom stitches, such as peyote, brick, and herringbone, are used to create three-dimensional textures. This craft moves beading from embellishment to textile art.
Glass bead making has a long tradition, with the oldest known beads dating over 3,000 years. Craftspeople have been crafting beads from glass since at least Ancient Roman times. Glass bead making is typically categorized by the method used to manipulate the glass. Wound beads are made from molten glass wound around a metal mandrel, then cooled to form "lampwork" beads. Pressed glass beads are poured into molds, allowing mass production of intricate shapes. Trade beads were manufactured in Europe and exchanged across Africa and the Americas, incorporating local aesthetics. Glass bead making is an art form in itself.
In casual conversation, "beading" and "beadwork" are often used interchangeably.
However, beading is the process while beadwork is the product. Beading focuses on the act of working with beads, which involves selecting colors and materials, threading, knotting, and sometimes weaving. Beading encompasses a wide range of techniques, from stringing, loom weaving, peyote stitch, brick stitch, right-angle weave, bead embroidery, fringe, and others.
Beadwork refers more to the finished objects, such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, belts, and beaded textiles. Beadwork typically refers to the completed pieces.
Working with beads is inherently tactile and meditative. Whether it is labeled "beading" (the mindful ritual) or "beadwork" (the wearable art), the joy in the process and product is one continuous flow.
 
 
Recommended Resources
Deb Roberti's "Around the Beading Table" features a pattern index that organizes designs by bead type (SuperDuo, Tila, GemDuo, etc.) and by project (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, ornaments, and suncatchers). Over 1,000 free patterns and dozens of paid PDFs are available, with new and newly updated designs listed at the top of the page. Deb Roberti is a longtime graphic designer who became interested in beadweaving when her husband brought home a box of beads.
https://aroundthebeadingtable.com/
Bead & Blossom is Lauren Harpster's hub for learning French beaded flowers, which are 3D floral sculptures created by stringing seed beads on wire. The website features a free pattern library with downloadable instructions for dozens of blooms, step-by-step video workshops for beginners and advanced crafters, an informative blog, and a portfolio of completed projects. Through links to her Etsy shop, standalone PDF patterns are available for purchase. Books are also available.
https://beadandblossom.com/
Representing an online magazine and community hub dedicated to beadwork and jewelry-making, the site features a print magazine section with in-depth articles on techniques and trend-spotting, streaming video tutorials and designer demos, profiles of suppliers, gemmologists and "Storyteller Jewellers" like Erika Sandor, and a curated shop stocked with gemstones, tools, and unique findings. Other features include designer interviews and columns highlighting new beads and techniques.
https://www.beading.live/
Featuring a beginner-focused curriculum, the site teaches just two beading techniques and to master three basic jewelry-making tools, with no prior experience required. It features hands-on projects, step-by-step, block-by-block instructions for making necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that enhance skills, project after project. Visual guidance, with clear photos and diagrams, keep people on track so that they can bead with confidence. Instructions for beginning are provided.
https://www.beadingjewelry101.com/
This is an online hub for learning to craft beaded jewelry, from quick projects that can be completed in an evening to advanced designs that stretch skill levels. The website features tutorials and e-books, as well as an open, live workshop each Friday, and a Facebook group where members share their projects, swap tips, and network. Its signature offering is the Beadingschool Academy, a bi-monthly subscription with a themed box of beads and components, along with tutorials.
https://beadingschool.com/
Offering informational resources on beads and beading, the site features several free patterns (including crochet ropes, bracelets, brooches, and earrings), free schemas, instructions, tutorials, and bead designs, bolstered by photographs of jewelry and beads, along with other valuable and interesting free information about beadwork. Also included are book reviews and suggestions for additional information, as well as links to YouTube tutorials. An archive is available, sorted by month.
https://beadsmagic.com/
The Beadworkers Guild is a UK-based registered charity dedicated to supporting and promoting the art of beadweaving. It's open to anyone who loves working with beads. The organization was founded in 1999 at the Great British Bead Show and has since grown into a global membership. Its website includes a members' area with free patterns, exclusive how-tos, downloadable forms, and a newsletter with eight issues a year. A photo gallery and contacts are provided.
https://beadworkersguild.com/
International Society of Glass Beadmakers
The ISGB is a global, non-profit arts organization devoted exclusively to the craft and art of glass beadmaking. Founded to preserve the traditions of glass bead work, ISGB promotes educational initiatives, professional development, and the innovative integration of complementary media among artists and craftspeople worldwide. Membership provides access to an exclusive online member directory and vendor discounts, a subscription to its monthly newsletter, and savings on workshops.
https://isgb.org/
The premier online repository for European medieval beadwork is curated by Jen Funk Segrest. Focusing on the period 1000-1700 AD, the website showcases over 200 examples of bead embroidery, 120 of which are extant pieces often hidden in museum storerooms. Its content is organized by century (10th-17th) and item type (clothing, accessories, liturgical objects), and includes high-resolution photos, research papers, tutorials, a bibliography, and classes. Contacts are provided.
http://medievalbeads.com/
Portland, Maine's Museum of Beadwork celebrates beadwork as a serious art form through rotating exhibitions, hands-on workshops, and community gatherings. As the only museum devoted solely to beadwork, its displays span jewelry, clothing and costume, tapestry, sculpture, and accessories. Programs and special events are held every first Friday of the month, including a free themed evening featuring mini-exhibits, maker demos, and pop-up shops. Hours and ticket information are available.
https://www.museumofbeadwork.org/
Created by Dr. Yana Zorina, a neuroscientist turned SciArt maker, the website features reflections on art as therapy, work-in-progress posts about building 3D, biologically accurate sculptures out of seed beads, and in-depth explorations of how visualization can destigmatize and humanize neurological research. Links to an Etsy storefront showcasing finished pieces, from neuronal-migration vases to neuromuscular-junction hair clips, and a Patreon where his work can be backed.
https://neurobead.com/
The School of Beading is a dedicated online academy for anyone interested in exploring the art of beadwork. There are two focus areas: beaded jewelry (techniques for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings) and beaded flowers (master the wire-and-bead methods to craft lifelike blooms). The site offers flexible learning formats, including PDF patterns and video tutorials with step-by-step classes that can be streamed on any device. Live sessions may also be tailored to the project or skill level.
https://www.schoolofbeading.com/