Bead Stringing Materials

When working with beads, you often need to string them onto something. And those things come in the form of thread, wire, and cord.

Beading Thread

Beading thread is mostly used for bead weaving (on and off of a loom) and bead embroidery. The two most common types of beading thread are thermally bonded (e.g., Fireline) and nylon (e.g., Miyuki beading thread). It's important to note that beading thread is not the same as regular sewing thread. It is stronger and more durable. To dive into the details of both and which one you should choose, please read this article.

  • 6LB FireLine Beading Thread - The Bead Mix

    Thermally Bonded Thread

  • Miyuki Nylon Beading Thread Size B - The Bead Mix

    Nylon Beading Thread

Beading Wire

Beading wire is made up of thin strands of stainless steel that are bound together and coated with a thin coating of nylon, which protects the wire and gives it a softer feel. It's incredibly strong and easy to work with. It's an excellent choice for simply stringing beads to make bracelets and necklaces.

Two popular brands of beading wire are Accuflex and Softflex.

They both come in multiple diameters and strands. What you choose depends on the degree of drape you'd like, the weight of your beads, and hole size of the beads you're working with.

When it comes to drape, 49-strand beading wires are most flexible and provide the "softess drape" as oppoased to 7-strand beading, which is less flexible and has the "firmest" drape. If you're working with small seed beads, 49-strand beading wire works great.

In terms of the best diameter to choose, check the hole sizes of the beads you're using. It's also important to consider what findings you'll be using to finish your ends. For example, are you using a crimp beads. If so, the beading wire must be able to fit through the hole of the crimp beads too.

three rolls of accuflex beading wire

Craft Wire

If you are wire-wrapping beads (e.g., wire-wrapped hoop earrings), you will need to strong the beads onto craft wire. Craft wire is more rigid than beading wire. When you bend it, it holds it's shape. Therefore, it does not drape and is best for wire-wrapping techniques.

Craft wire comes in various gauges. Like seed bead sizing, the larger the gauge, the thinner the wire.

The gauge you choose to use depends on the beads you are using and the flexibility you need. The wire must be able to fit through the holes of the beads. For example, size 11 Miyuki seed beads have a hole size of about 0.8mm. Therefore, you must use a wire with a diameter that is less than 0.8mm. This would be 21 gauge and above.

However, for wire-wrapping beads around a frame or hoops, 21 gauge isn't flexible enough. For this purpose, 26 gauge works best.

Beading Cord

There are lots of options when it comes to beading cord, which is thicker than beading thread and used mostly for stringing or macrame. These include leather, C-Lon, S-Lon, waxed cord, Chinese knotting cord, satin cord, silk cord, elastic cord, and more!

Elastic Cord

Elastic cord is often used to make stretchy bracelets without a clasp, which makes putting them on and taking them off a breeze. Stretchy bracelets are a great project for beginners, including tweens and teens.

When it comes to elastic cord, it’s best to use the thickest cord you can that will fit through the beads you’re using. And my personal favorite brand of elastic cord is Stretch Magic. It’s clear and comes in 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, and 1.0 mm thicknesses (or diameters).

I personally find the 0.5 mm cord to be too thin and easy to break. For size 11/0 seed beads, I use the 0.7 mm cord. This cord will fit all the seed beads we offer. For larger seed beads (8/0 and 6/0), I use the 1.0 mm cord.

It’s important to pre-stretch the cord to prevent it from stretching out on it’s own over time. I recommend starting your strand with at least one larger hole bead that can be used to hide the knot. Once you’ve added all your beads, it’s best to tie the cord with a surgeon’s knot followed by at least one overhand knot and then gluing the knot with G-S Hypo Cement. You can then trim the excess cord and gently slide the knot inside the larger hole bead to hide it.

Click here for a tutorial on how to create a stretchy bracelet with seed beads.

Roll of stretch Magic 0.7mm elastic stretch cord

Got Questions?

I realize this is a lot to take in and sort through as a newbie. So if you still have questions, please don't hesitate to email us and we'll get back to you ASAP.

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