Q: What will a beginning beader need to get started? A: You don't need much to get started. A good idea is to get a book to refer to, such as
The Basics of Bead Stringing, which is not too expensive (find in our
Bead Books section of our web site). As for the beads, this would depend on your preference. Start out simple, with perhaps
silver rounds,
daisy spacers,
stone beads,
Swarovski crystals, and
pressed glass beads. Stringing material also depends on the type of jewelry that you are making.
Griffin Silk is very popular for
pearls and
seed beads, while
jewelry wire is a standard stringing material that should be a part of every beader's box of goodies. You will need
tools to put it all together, and the basics could include
round nose pliers for making loops and closing jump rings;
flat nose pliers for bending wire, closing jump rings, and to crimp; a
crimping tool is also useful when working with jewelry wire, as it will give your crimp tube a cleaner and more professional finish than the flat-nose pliers.
