Beading Wire, Beading Cords and Beading Threads - By: suegold

Beading wire, cords and thread are the underlying foundation of your beading projects. You can add to the decorative beauty of your work as well as ensuring durability of the piece. Choose well. Careful selection of beading wire, cord or thread is necessary to ensure longevity and security of your work. Especially as some beads (mostly those made from natural materials) may have sharp or abrasive edges.

Stringing Products - Usage and Description

Cording and Leather Thonging is available in round or flat. Gives an ethnic, casual or fun appearance to your jewelry. Use it to string beads with larger holes, donut beads. Good quality thonging is usually available in a range of natural tones and brighter colors in a variety of thicknesses.

Flat Leather Thonging - Wider 3.00mm thonging usually made from kangaroo leather for softness and strength. Available in a large range of natural tones and bright colors.

Braided Leather Cords - Round cords made by braiding thin leather strips. Usually available in natural tones. Waxed cord, a cheaper non-leather substitute, is less pliable.

Imitation Leather Thonging - A very uniform, strong and less expensive substitute to genuine leather. Has a woven look, knots easily, but lacks the "feel" of leather.

Synthetic Rubber Cord - Use for a colorful, modern twist in your work. Very strong and durable with a huge range of colors and thicknesses.

Stretch Elastic - Use for very quick, simple and easy projects. Great for kids bracelets. Simply string on the beads and secure with a double knot for a very casual relaxed style. Available in clear or bright colors.

Threads
Silk Thread - quality silk thread is considered essential for knotting fine gems and pearls. Creates a graceful drape which is very hard to obtain with other threads. Available in a very large range of colors, thicknesses and spool lengths.

Polyester Thread - A specially woven, no-stretch polyester thread designed for knotting and threading beads. An acceptable substitute for silk thread when knotting pearls. To secure use a charlotte crimp, placing the knotted ends inside the crimp.

Bonded Nylon Thread - This thread has exceptional durability and is resistant to fraying. Available in three weights, light, medium and heavy, and a range of colors from natural tones to bright modern ones.

Flexible Wire

Memory Wire - A thin hard-tempered pre-coiled stainless steel wire. It is rigid and maintains its shape permanently. Very quick and easy to use. Simply loop the end of the wire using round noes pliers, thread all your beads onto it and secure the end by forming another loop. No need to use a clasp. Suggested for rings, bracelets and chokers.

Beading/Craft Wire - Bendable wire made from stainless steel, copper, brass or sterling silver. Ideal for crochet, wrapping and creating individual beaded items.

Available in three hardnesses:-

* Dead soft - extremely malleable, easy bent. Does not hold it's shape under stress.
* Half-hard - very malleable, will maintain a shape under moderate stress.
* Full hard - still malleable but much firmer, will hold it's shape under stress.

Precious Metal Wire - Available in two metals, gold-filled and sterling silver. Manufactured in four shapes, round, half-round, square and twisted with a selection of hardnesses (as described above). This beautiful, but expensive, wire can be used to make your own individually designed jewelry components. Form the wire around a wire-wrapping jig to create uniquely shaped pieces.

Colored Stainless Steel - multi-strand pre-made necklace and bracelet lengths come complete with clasps. Very strong and easy to use.

Specialty Metals - New metal alloys, like Argentium(TM) and Nobium(TM)are becoming available to jewelry makers. These new materials have their own beauty as well as providing benefits such as tarnish resistance and being naturally hypoallergenic.

The main issue you will encounter is choosing from the vast array of these versatile materials. Ultimately, your choice will depend on your vision of the style and function of the finished piece, whether you want the stringing material to be visible or indeed a featured design element, or simply an effective base for your choice of beads.

About the Author

Author Mary Johnson runs the beading craft website where you can get a complete and comprehensive beading ebook for both beading beginners and pros and 2 quality bonuses when you get the ebook. She also provides access to beading supplies at low prices.

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