What You Need

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For this course I recommend starting out with beads and supplies you have readily available to learn the techniques.

Please gather the following minimum supplies:

  • Bead container
  • Seed beads, some smaller, some larger
  • A cabochon or shankless button
  • Beading thread
  • A needle small enough to go through your smallest beads
  • A quilted sample to practice on
If you want to compare what you've got to the supplies I recommend feel free to shop. If you have no supplies at all and are brand new to beading - I suggest buying a small amount of the best quality supplies you can afford. Most of all - come to this with an attitude of playful exploration. Make it fun rather than frustrating. If your eyes don't like tiny things, get a lighted magnifying lamp or simply get a needle you can thread and find beads that will fit over it! There are no hard and fast rules that say you must work on a microscopic level.
Shop Locally First!
I am a strong advocate of shopping locally. If you have an independent bead shop nearby please support it. If they don't carry something you want, ask the owner and they will most likely be able to order it for you. At the very least you will meet interesting people who love beads as much as you do.
US Bead Suppliers
Scroll down the shop page to find piecemeal beads and beading suppliesMiyuki Bead Kits that include a bobbin of Nymo or C-Lon and a beading needle.Hand made glass CabochonsBeading Thread and Needles
A very large retail supplier with everything (and more) that you might need to bead.Located in Southern Oregon
Another large retail supplier with everything (and more) that you might need to bead.Located in Lacey, Washington