Bead Making Tutorial

If you have several small beads hanging around, or maybe some lure beads and fishing line, you should try making a cluster bead.  All you need is twelve of your little beads, and some fishing line (or tigertail, beading thread, etc).

First, string four of your beads onto the middle of your string.

Then, take the end of your string and go back through the first bead.

 String three more beads onto your string.

Now take the opposite end and string it back through the last bead you put on your string.

Notice how the string is kind of sitting on top of the bead to the right.  Go ahead and string your beading wire or fishing line through that bead.

String on two more beads!

Take the end to the left and string it back through the last bead you put on the line.

If you pull both ends tight, you'll get something like you see below.  Go ahead and string the line through the bead on the left that it's kind of sitting on top of.

String on two more beads.

Go back through the last one you strung with the opposite end.

 You should only have one bead left.  String it on.

And go back through it with the opposite end.

 To make the bead sturdy and finish it, you have to go back through the last beads.  If you've done everything else right, when you finish at the end every bead should have two lines/strings going through them.  To finish it you take one end of your string and go through the last three beads on top that don't already have two lines through them.  I've marked the beads in the picture.

Now conveniently both ends should be coming out right next to each other.  Go ahead and tie them in a double or triple knot until it feels secure to you.  The beads should feel sturdy and look something like this:

You can make it out of any type or size of bead than you can manage.  You can string it on through the hole pictured above, or you can hook jump rings/wires onto the fishing line.

Enjoy!