Weaving

A bead loom allows you to create regular, precise patterns, making it ideal for woven bracelets, cuffs, and jewelry made with seed beads or Miyuki beads. There are several sizes available depending on your needs:

• Wooden looms, which are compact and perfect for beginners (Ojibwa, basic kit);
• Adjustable or extra-wide looms, for long pieces or complex patterns;
• Angled looms, which offer greater comfort during long weaving sessions;
• Adjustable Bead Loom, specially designed for Delicas and Miyuki seed beads.

Instructions for Bead Looms

You’ll find all the simple instructions on how to use a loom in our bead weaving tutorial .

• Step 1: Place the threads on the loom, tying a knot at each end. Make sure the threads are taut. Tie a long piece of thread around the first thread.
• Step 2: Thread the beads according to your weaving pattern and slide the row of beads under your row of threads. Adjust the beads between each thread. Thread the string back through the beads above the row of threads. Here’s a little tip: lift the row of beads with your finger.
• Step 3: Repeat Step 2 and complete your bead weaving pattern.

We use the beading loom for crafts to create costume jewelry using seed beads and Miyuki beads (which are fine and delicate). They have the advantage of being uniform in size, making them ideal for creating woven bracelets and cuffs.

Once you’ve chosen your seed beads, keep the following in mind:

• The needle—it needs to be thin and flexible, as it must pass through the same bead several times,
• The threads,
• The clasps and weaving end caps to finish your piece.

There are an infinite number of bead weaving patterns; use our blank weaving grid to let your imagination run wild and create new weaving patterns.

The book *500 Bead Weaves* will give you ideas for bead weaving patterns.

Kumihimo, macramé, and peyote: other weaving techniques

Beyond the traditional loom, several techniques allow you to vary your creations. Kumihimo discs (round or thick, in various sizes) are used for Japanese cord and thread braiding, which is very popular for braided bracelets. For micro-macramé, our cork or foam boards and T-pins make it easier to hold the threads in place while knotting. Finally, Peyote Starter Strips and Quick Start Peyote are perfect for learning even or odd peyote stitch weaving.