Bead Craft - The Greatest Instruments
A topic not much discussed in articles regarding bead craft is what I like to all "optional equipment." Reasonably, most of the articles on beading ideas focus on the beading projects, or the beads themselves and lots of discussions revolving around patterning, color selection and so on, but at least a few concentration must be given to the optional items of equipment, as they can make your life simpler and enhance your enjoyment of bead craft in general.
The items I've in mind are:
Fishing Line
Magnifying Glasses
Cord Knotter
Bead Tray
I will outline what all of these can do for you as it relates to bead craft below.
Fishing Line - If you're all out of silk thread and needing to crank out a bead craft project, simple fishing line can be subbed in for the good stuff. Or, if you're only making a temporary piece and want to save your silk thread for permanent creations, yet again, fishing line to the rescue! No bead craft toolkit should be without it!
Magnifying Glasses - This handy item will save you both time (reducing the time required turning your beading ideas into reality), and prevent eyestrain by bringing those tiny, little pieces-parts into better focus. What's not to like about that! If you just have one piece of optional bead craft tools, get these!
Cord Knotter - At around ten usd , this helpful little item is the most costly of the "optional bead craft equipment," but well worth the money, specially if you do any work at all with pearls. It helps with knot tying, and helps you get the knots right up against the beads, where you wish them to be (this can be a frustrating process when trying to get it right by hand). It might take a lttle bit to get the hang of using it, but once you do, you'll wonder how you and your bead craft projects got along without it!
Bead Tray - Amusing how something as simple as a tray can make this type of large difference to your bead craft projects, but it truly can! The most important benefit of a bead tray is that it comes with grooves for holding beads and the grooves are of typical shapes and sizes! So, while you are making a necklace, simply play with your pattern on the bead tray, get it just how you want it, and then all your beads are already laid out in the exact pattern. Simply pick 'em up and string!
Again, while none of the items stated here are very vital, you will possibly discover that you enjoy bead craft a good deal more with these time saving devices, and you can pick up the whole set for about $25. A small investment certainly for what they can do to improve your bead craft experience, and the ways in which they can assist you execute against your beading ideas!
