Seed bead jewelry involves sewing or weaving seed beads, the smallest type of beads, onto fabric or thread. Basic materials include seed beads, thread or wire, crimp beads to attach clasps, and beading needles. Common techniques are the daisy chain, which links beads together in a chain, and ladder stitch, which attaches beads in rows resembling a ladder. Crimp beads are used with wire to hold clasps in place by crimping the bead around the wire using specialized pliers.

1. Seed Bead
Jewelry Design

2. History
• Jewelry is one of the
oldest forms of body
adornment.
• The first pieces of
jewelry were made from
natural materials, such
as bone, animal teeth,
shell, wood and carved
stone.

3. Jewelry Uses
• Currency: wealth display & storage
• Function: clasps, pins & buckles
• Symbolism: to show membership or status
– Examples: Christian crucifix, Jewish Star of David,
wedding rings
• Protection: amulets & magical wards
• Artistic Display: just for looks or showing one’s style
– Jewelry has always been artistic, but this use took primacy
over wealth and function starting in the late 19th century

4. Types of Jewelry
• High-Quality Jewelry: made with
gemstones and precious metals, such as
silver or gold
• Art Jewelry: design and creativity are
prized above material value
• Costume Jewelry: less costly due to being
mass-produced from lower value materials

5. Seed Bead Jewelry
• Smallest type of beads used to create
jewelry
• Embroidery Technique: seed beads are
sewn or “woven” onto a fabric backing

6. Materials & Tools
• Thread: Nymo
(nylon), wire, braided
thread
• Crimp Beads: soft
metal bead that is
crimped around the
wire to hold a clasp
in place.
• Crimp Pliers: used to
attach crimp beads

7. Materials & Tools
• Beading Needles: thin and
bendable
• Decorative Beads: seed
beads, wooden beads, etc.
• “Findings”: hardware needed to
finish a piece of jewelry
– Examples: Barrel clasps, crimp
beads, earring wires, etc.

8. Attaching A Crimp Bead
• Two-step process used with
beading wire
• Using a crimp pliers, first
crimp the bead around the
wire using the hole closest
to the handles
• Then, fold the crimped bead
back onto itself using the
hold closet to the tip of the
pliers

9. 2 Basic Techniques
• Daisy Chain
• Ladder Stitch