Helpful Beading Resources
Welcome! Here you'll find a list of resources that will help you get started on your beading journey or enhance it. And please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. We're always happy to help!
FAQs & Basic Info
Artbeads (seed beads)
Artbeads (bead weaving)
Fire Mountain Gems (seed beads)
Fire Mountain Gems (bead weaving)
Fire Mountain Gems (tips & troubleshooting)
Free Beading Tutorials
Orchid and Opal Jewelry & Beads
Beading Patterns
The Bead Mix (free)
Many beading tutorials on YouTube provide free patterns for the project being taught.
Bead shops often offer free patterns on their websites (see list below).
Many people sell beading patterns on Etsy.
Printable Beading Graph Paper
Where to Buy Beads
Here at The Bead Mix, we sell mostly Miyuki bead mixes and Delica bead sets. Therefore, you'll need to shop elsewhere for solid color beads.
To ensure quality, especially for bead weaving, we recommend sticking to brand name beads. We love Miyuki, but Toho is a good brand too. Czech seed beads are also very popular, but not quite as uniform as Japanese seed beads.
Hobby stores sometimes carry Miyuki seed beads, including Michaels. So you can always check there. But please keep in mind they also carry cheap beads that aren't great for jewelry making, especially bead weaving and looming.
For online shopping, here are some shops our customers recommend:
High Street Beading Company (delica beads only)
Blueberry Beads (delica beads only)
Pacific Thread (beading kits)
Etsy - There are many sellers who sell quality seed beads on Etsy. Be sure to carefully read the descriptions and reviews. Some listings may be misleading.
Michael's Online (Try not to get persuaded by the cheap no-brand beads. The quality is noticeably different. They may work for some crafts, but not great for jewelry making).