Having a hobby or two that provides you with relaxation, joy, and allows you to escape from your everyday hustle and bustle can be extremely fulfilling and healthy. Pursuing a hobby has been shown to help people to socialise with others, build their confidence, tap into their creativity, reduce stress, and really aid in personal development.
So, if you’re looking for that perfect new hobby to try, you may want to look into beading. It checks off all the boxes where hobbies are concerned, and it provides total freedom as there are no rules as to what you “should” be beading or what the final outcome “should” look like. For some people, beading can even become a hobby that turns into a job, as you may find your creations are good enough to sell. Here we’ll take a look at the basics that can help you get started in beading.
Take a Class or Watch Some Online Tutorials
One of the best ways to get started in beading is to sign up for a class, or a series of classes. If this doesn’t work for your schedule, or classes aren’t really your thing, you can always check out online tutorials. What this will do is give you a thorough introduction on beading and just what is involved.
When picking a class or an online tutorial, just be sure to pick one that matches your skill level. You’ll want to start with a beginner series so that all the basics are covered. By learning the foundations of the hobby, you’ll be able to pick it up much faster.
Put Together Your Beading Kit
You will also need to put together a beading kit for yourself. A starter kit will need to include a variety of basic items, and then you can build on it from there.
To get started, you’ll need a few beading needles, usually in a few different sizes; beading scissors that can cut through the beading thread; beading thread meant for beginners (typically a nylon thread in size D or B); a bead mat to hold all your supplies as you work; thread conditioner that will allow the beads to easily be placed on it; some sort of container(s) to organise your beads; a selection of beads; a magnifier; and a lamp that can be directed at the beading project.
Rather than running around to all different stores to build your kit, it can make more sense to visit a store like Raaaft that is a one-and-done kind of shop. Raaaft is well-known for its beading supplies, and the variety of beads that it offers.
Pick a Beginner Level Project
Now that you’ve watched or taken a class and put together your kit, it’s time to pick a project. Ideally you want to pick a beginner level project so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. Hands-on experience is really the very best way to learn when it comes to beading. As you build on your experience, the doors to what you can accomplish will be opened.
