Custom Jewelry – Bead Weaving Techniques (overview & photo examples)

The following examples of jewelry I’ve made were all created using one or more bead weaving technique.  In the world of bead work, there are many unique stitches, and they all create very different effects.    Bead weaving stitches that I frequently use are peyote stitch,  brick stitch, herringbone stitch, spiral stitch, couching, square stitch, and right angle weave.  There are others that I use as well, but several of those are variations of the main ones I just described.  All of these techniques have been used in bead work creations that are historically significant.  For instance,  peyote stitch (also known as “gourd stitch”) and couching are both found in early examples of Native American bead work.  Herringbone stitch has always been a very prevalent stitch used in Russian and Ukrainian bead work.  As with so many hobbies that I enjoy, I find the history of beads and the techniques used to create items with them almost as interesting as the process of creating itself.

The necklaces below were both adaptations from the designs of others:  The Narcissus necklace (below, left) was based on a design I discovered in a cross-stitch design book and was able to adapt in square stitch.  The Bargello necklace (below, right) was based on a design by Carole Collier in the August 1998 issue of Bead & Button Magazine.  My grandmother used to make Bargello pillows, so when I saw this design, I knew I had to make one for myself.

Last modified on: March 20th 2012.