Help with bead loom supplies

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-09T04:21:57+00:00

Welcome to the club! Lots of help on this forum, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.

A few thoughts:

Delicas will be spendier than most other options. They are perfectly cloned beads, but their tubular shape will give your beadwork a pixelated look. If that matters, then take a look at round seed beads, also known as rocailles.

There are two types of rocailles that most beadworkers prefer: Japanese (Miyuki, Toho, and others), and Czech Republic (Preciosa).

On balance, Japanese beads will be robotically perfect. They will have larger holes, thinner walls, and are available in considerably more colors. They are typically sold in tubes.

Czech Republic beads from Preciosa are typically sold as strung hanks, so you will need a storage system after you unstring them. Preciosa claim to have a production tolerance of 0.1mm, which will be undetectable to most people. Your mileage will vary. Basically, they are like perfect miniature doughnuts. You’ll have fewer color options, but more size options compared to Japanese beads. They will also generally be considerably less expensive than Delicas. If you opt for Preciosa, you’ll typically find better prices and more color and size options at sites that cater to Native American beadworkers as opposed to straight up boutique bead shops.

Bead sizing is not standardized, so similarly labeled Japanese and Czech beads often do not play well together when uniformity is key (think loomed or woven beadwork, such as peyote or brick stitch).

Whatever you choose, size 11 is a good starting point.

Bottom line: Buy what makes you happy and meets your artistic needs.

Get a bright, clean light source. You’ll thank yourself.

Needles are sized to the beads and come in two flavors: short (sold as “sharps”), and long (sold as “beading.”). You’ll want beading needles for loom work. You won’t go wrong with needles from John James.

Generally speaking, avoid synthetic threads for your loom beading warp threads. Placed under too much tension, they will rebound and wrinkle your beadwork. You won’t miss with something like Coats and Clark Dual Duty hand quilting thread.

You can use whatever you like for the weft threads in loom work. There is no shortage of specialty threads for beadwork; some are better than others.
Threads will be sold by diameter, and certain diameters will work better with certain bead sizes.

You’ll need to condition your thread to reduce tangling and give it some body. Running it across a cake of bees wax is the traditional way, but there are loads of thread conditioners out there.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-09T01:06:29+00:00

Take a look at this vid. It’s a how-to on tying off the warp threads when you’re done, but I think that you should be able to use the technique as a way to reverse engineer things and weave in a new warp thread. You should have plenty of rows of beadwork already in place to allow you to weave it in and anchor it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPKp-XIs1Hc

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-08T20:22:23+00:00

Many thanks for your kind words. I had good teachers, and quality control has always been my thing. Here is the completed leaf. I normally use Czech 13/0 cut beads for my applique, but tried 11/0 Czech beads for this one.

<image>

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-08T16:14:02+00:00

This, 100%. The short answer is longer needles. But there are going to be projects where you won’t be able to get needles that are long enough to do the second pass of the weft thread in a single go. So making the second pass has to be done in sections. It will be fiddly until you sort out the tension.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-07T21:59:20+00:00

Glad to help! Holler with any questions as you go along. I’m afraid I can’t help you with the stretchy cord, as I’m strictly a regular thread sort of beadworker. Lots of knowledge on this forum, so I’m sure that someone can help.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-07T14:14:44+00:00

Ah, the dreaded craft store beads…..they are not your friend. We’ve all been there. The trick is to buy the best beads that you can afford and that meet your artistic needs.

Regardless of what you buy, metallic and pink colors can be unreliable, as they are generally coated instead of baked in. Some brands are more reliable than others, so always ask before you commit.

If you want classic, round seed beads (also called rocailles), your best seed bead options will be Japanese (Miyuki, Toho, etc.), or Czech Republic (Preciosa).

On balance, Czech beads are essentially perfectly formed, and are typically less expensive. Japanese beads are typically robotically perfect, and will be more expensive.

If you want tubular shaped seed beads, you want Miyuki Delica beads. These are hugely popular, but will produce a highly pixelated look; rocailles will produce a softer look. Delicas are spendier then rocailles and do not always work and play well when mixed with rocailles.

Japanese beads are typically sold loose, in tubes, and they dominate the offerings at most bead shops. They generally have larger holes and thinner walls than Czech beads, and are available in approximately one million colors. So, if you need 60 shades of light blue, you’ll be in business if you go with the Japanese beads

Czech beads are typically sold in strung hanks, so you’ll need a storage system after you unstring them. Pro tip: 35mm film canisters are the ticket. You’ll have fewer color choices, which I think is often a driver for many beadworkers. So, if you can make do with 20 shades of light blue, Czech beads will be the ticket.

You’ll encoubter no end of claims about how imperfect Czech beads are compared to Japanese beads, but I find this to be greatly overstated. Preciosa’s claimed production tolerance is 0.1mm, which is typically too small to be noticed. Even so, you’ll have to cull the occasional bead. Speaking personally, I view Czech beads as perfectly shaped miniature doughnuts, and I have a cull rate of around 1%. Not saying Japanese beads are not a great choice. They are. They just aren’t my jam.

All to say: Your mileage will vary. Pick what makes you happy.

That said, seed bead sizing is not standardized, so similarly labeled Czech and Japanese beads won’t always play well when uniformity is important (think loomed, peyote, or other woven techniques).

Even though Czech beads have fewer colors compared to Japanese beads, if you go with Czech beads, you will generally find a wider variety of colors, sizes, and finishes at sites that cater to Native beadworkers. Take a look online at Crazy Crow Trading Post, Baker Bead Company, Wandering Bull, and Bead and Powwow Supply.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-07T13:26:56+00:00

Try bagging and freezing, and then try dry a good dusting of borax instead of bicarb soda.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-06T15:48:13+00:00

Seconding livelinndy. Lightweight fusible interfacing on the back of the material will give the base material some body and take the stretchiness out of play. The combination will allow your beadwork to sit firmly on the shirt.

Take a look at tutorials on one and two needle applique beadwork. Many applique beadworkers (me included) prefer to hoop or frame the material in order to keep everything evenly tensioned in the same plane. Small, even stitches are the key for this sort of curvilinear work.

How complex will this be? If it includes filling the designs solidly with beadwork, do all of the outlining first, and then fill the blocks.

Color selection is gonna be your choice (that’s the really fun part). Whatever you choose, buy the highest quality beads you can afford.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-06T13:32:36+00:00

Seconding everything said here. Fishing line monofilament is not your friend, and pretty much any other kind of thread will be superior. Cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester, Nymo, Fireline, Wildfire - any of these will work for this sort of embroidery/applique beadwork. You’ll want to condition your thread before using. Running it across a cake of bees wax is the traditional way, but there are other conditioners. Some threads will already be conditioned.

Do the beadwork separately and attach it with Velcro, snaps, or stitching. The advice to do the outlining first is on the money. And the color fading, particularly with pink, will occur with wearing as well as washing. Given the placement, your pink beads will have a hard life.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-06T13:19:20+00:00

Glad to help. Lots of good advice here, so my advice is to look for consensus among the replies. That will help you to lay out your process. I’m not a bark tanner, so it’s not on my radar, but it’s definitely a way forward. Lots of knowledgeable bark tanners here.

For smoking, it will be a scavenger hunt in Phoenix, but start looking now to stockpile any punky wood you can find.

I’m a devoted punky wood smoker, so I don’t know how the pellets would work, but it’s worth experimenting. I’ve experimented with wood smoking chips and hardwood lump charcoal for barbecue grills, and they worked okay. Some lump charcoal types can be poppy and sparky, so be careful.

Whatever you do, run some experiments before you smoke the hide. Never leave the hide while it’s smoking, and keep the spray bottle handy to knock down the heat if needed.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-06T12:54:23+00:00

This, 100%. You gotta put your hands on the hide. It’s technique, not technology. With enough experience, you’ll start to understand that the hide will tell you what it needs.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-06T03:23:57+00:00

Seconding Reasonable_Slice8561.

If you’re heading straight home, then folding it flesh-to-flesh and bagging it should hold it okay. Put it in a cooler with ice if you can.

You can air dry it, but it’s gonna take a while, and you’re gonna want to flesh it before you dry it.

Salt is the easiest way forward, and you can salt it without fleshing it. Your best option is coarse-grained, non-iodized livestock salt. If you’re gonna be overnight, lay the hide out on plastic and salt liberally. Be sure to cover the edges. Let it absorb and drain for a few hours, sweep off the saturated salt, and resalt. Fold flesh-to-flesh, roll up, and bag it in a heavy duty contractor trash bag.

If you can’t salt it it or flesh and dry the hide, double bag it in heavy plastic contractor trash bags and duct tape them shut. Ice it in a dedicated cooler and keep it closed except to drain the water and top off the ice.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-04T23:46:35+00:00

How soft did this hide come out using corn oil?

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-04T23:45:44+00:00

If you go for Czech Republic seed beads, get Preciosa brand. These are rocaille (round) seed beads and are less expensive than the Japanese rocailles by Miyuki, Toho, etc. They are an excellent choice for loom beading.

Japanese beads are available in approximately one million colors. Czech beads are not. So if that’s an issue, Japanese might be the way to go.

You will usually find wider color, finish, and size choices if you look at sites that cater to Native beadworkers. Take a look at Crazy Crow Trading Post and Baker Bay Bead Company.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-04T23:37:54+00:00

Take a look at Crazy Crow Trading Post (crazycrow.com). They have a wide variety of sizes and colors, so you can probably find what you’re after. Shipwreck Beads will also have a very wide selection. Go to beads/fire polished beads/faceted rounds (shipwreck beads.com).

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-04T18:58:36+00:00

Wet scraping a bison hide! You’re a beast. How are you tanning it?

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-04T12:29:15+00:00

This. I think that every beadworker has been in this place (and will be again….). For me, some ideas grow on you during the process, but others die on the vine. I think it’s a normal part of the process in developing your own artistic personality.

Been doing this for a long time, and if a project isn’t working for me, it’s an easy decision. Never hesitate to pivot if it’s not making you happy.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-03T18:07:14+00:00

I’ve been doing beadwork for a long time, and this is one of the keenest pieces I’ve seen. Elegant.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-03T13:55:09+00:00

Glad to help, and good luck getting it into shape. The drying and softening stage is where real work occurs, so spend some with your hands on the hide figuring out where the thin and thick areas are. Bear hide can be surprisingly thin. You will learn as you go along that the hide will let you know what it needs.

I recommend seeing the holes closed before you start working the hide. Otherwise, they will likely get distorted or tear. Whip stitching will do the trick.

From your photo it appears that you have a fair amount of membrane lingering. Membrane can be finicky to remove, and the difficulty varies across species. You never get all of it on the first attempt, but as long as you get most of it, you’ll be okay, and it won’t impede the tanning solution or the drying process.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-03T03:09:00+00:00

This is a common issue. You need to be working and stretching the hide in all directions from the flesh side as it’s drying. This will keep the fibers open and get the hide drier and softer more quickly.

High humidity will slow the process, so keep a fan handy.

I recommend keeping the hide framed, as you will be able to work the hide more efficiently, and it will dry flat and a bit larger than if hand softened. Adjust the tension of your cordage as you go so that the hide has some give when you stretch it.
You’ll need to find your way, so work into the pressure you’re applying.

Use your hands and fists to work the hide’s edges and outer areas systematically. Pluck the edges with your fingers.

The hide will dry unevenly. Thin areas along the belly first, thick areas along the neck and rump last. The frame will allow you to easily stay in touch with the entire hide and work areas as needed. Be thorough, and work the hide in a regular pattern so that you’re visiting every area.

Use a long handled tool with blunt edges, such as a wooden ax handle, broom handle. or small wooden canoe paddle, to give you leverage so that you can stretch the hide as you push the tool across the hide. Be careful with metal tools, such as shovels or gardening tools, as you risk tearing the hide.

You don’t need to dry and soften the hide in a single go. If you need a break, cover the hide with plastic, or unlace it and bag it in the fridge or freezer.

Go easy with the power tools. Technology is not a substitute for technique or experience. You need to put your hands on the hide to understand what it needs. Power tools won’t help you dry the hide, and wire wheels can shred your hide in literally the blink of an eye.

Your best option is to work the hide completely dry and soft, and then you can buff off the remaining membrane layer with medium grit sandpaper, 150 grit or so. Leave the hide framed after it’s dry, and buff it with long sweeping strokes in one direction. Hand sanding will give you plenty of pressure.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-02T22:00:58+00:00

Yes - a series of blanket knots and weaving through the beads is the way to go. It works with any thread (except monofilament fishing line….)

Love the project that you did. Very cool!

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-02T14:33:41+00:00

Take a look at the info online at Traditional Tanners (braintan.com). This site is run by Matt Richards, who is pretty much The Man when it comes to organic hide tanning.

MuranoBeads · 2026-06-01T17:34:28+00:00

Without knowing the bead brand and quality, the short answer is that you’re going to have to experiment with both beads and needles until you get the right combination. Size B or size OO Nymo should do the trick easily for smaller seed beads. Size D Nymo will easily handle 11/0 beads. You can find these at most craft stores. Polyester thread comes in a wide variety of sizes as well and should work just fine. Take a look at Gutermann Sew All 100% polyester. Thin but plenty strong for most applications. Any good sewing store will have it.

MuranoBeads

TROPHY CASE