About beading needles
If you are learning any form of bead weaving then you’ll know a beading needle is absolutely essential! Also useful in embroidery, dressmaking, stumpwork and goldwork as well as many other millions of times when you can add beads for that extra bling or because you really hate tying French knots. Read on to learn about the different kinds of beading needles and a few tips on getting that thread to go through.
Types of Beading Needles
English Beading Needles –
English Beading Needles – these are the most common type of beading needles, known for their flexibility. Ranging from size 10 to 15 (size 15 being the smallest) they are perfect for intricate bead weaving work.
Japanese Beading Needles
These are very similar to their English counterpart though tend to be longer and stronger. We do not stock Japanese Beading needles
Big Eye Needles
These are basically 2 very fine lengths of wire fused at the ends forming one large eye. This feature makes them super simple to thread, but the fused end tends to make for a thicker point. Perfect for simple stringing with beads where you only need to pass through once or twice at most. Great for threading thicker threads through beads.
Twisted Wire Needles –
Also called Collapsible Eye Needles, these are made from 2 wires twisted together with a large eye at the end. They are very flexible and when passing through beads the large eye “collapses” and springs open on the other side, just be sure that when threading you have pulled your thread through to the little catch at the tip of the eye. Great for stringing and simple bead weaving, not so great for very intricate designs.
Curved Beading Needles –
Predominantly for use with a bead spinner but can also be used manually when bead dipping. The curved design helps the beads to “jump” onto the needle as the bead spinner spins the beads, can take a little practice to get the angles perfect but once you get it this can save a lot of time. You can equally dip the needle into a tub of bead soup and the beads will drop onto the needle, not as fast but can still speed things up if a specific patten is not required.
Which Beading Needle?
So, you have your design, your chosen beads and thread, how do you know which needle to use? This generally comes down to the project you are making. If you have bought a kit or are following a pattern from a website it will probably already list the size of needle to use, make sure you use that size as a larger may make work difficult. As a rule of thumb any design where I use size 11’s I will opt for a 12 or 13. Size 8’s with just a few passes, I may choose a size 10. If I am working with charlottes I will often opt for a size 15 needle if the 13 is struggling to pass through. If you’re not sure, always go for a finer needle, you will save yourself some stress and enjoy your project a lot more.
Threading your Needle
Threading the Needle
This is the big one! The hurdle that often halts many a bead weaver. Can it be made easier? Is there a magic tool? The answers are yes and yes you’ll be thrilled to hear.
So, what is the trick? Patience, a steady hand and just a little spit! When I’m threading the needle I always cut on a diagonal with a very sharp pair of scissors, this creates a thinner point to pass through. Wet the end and pull it tight through your lips, this helps to flatten the fibres. Hold the tip of your thread in your non dominant hand so that just a few millimetres is showing. Then introduce the needle to the thread, not the other way around. You should find that most of the fibres will pass through the eye, gently pull on the free end and coax the rest of the thread through. This works around 98% of the time. If your end gets fluffy, trim and try again.
Threading Fireline
For fireline, I tend to use the same technique but I nibble on the end to flatten it slightly to make it easier to pass through. Remember not to use your scissors for fireline as it will quickly blunt them. Use snips instead.
Help! My needle is stuck!
Ever been merrily beading away and there just happens to be a bead with just a slightly smaller hole than the others and your needle just doesn’t want to pass through? Yep, we’ve all been there (looking at you spiral rope! ) you don’t want to unthread the needle or maybe the needle really is jammed in there, just grab a pair of chain nosed pliers and very, very gently wiggle the needle through. More often than not you just need a little extra grip. I would immediately change to a finer needle afterwards though, treat this as more of a last resort thing.
Beading Thread only Remember!
We recommend to use beading thread only for your bead weaving projects, regular threads will not pass through the small needle sizes, and is not as strong as beading threads. We carry a range of beading threads in different colours, so you can match your thread to your beads
How to Store your beading needles
The best way to store beading needles is in a needle case, keep a separate one for each size. I tend to wipe my needles after use with a lint free cloth to remove any oils picked up from my hands, this helps to make them last longer. I have a needle restorer which I run needles through from time to time if they feel a little rough, this helps to smooth out any rough edges or lifted coatings, though this is far from essential. Replace any needles that become too bent or distorted (though I do keep the odd “banana” needle as they are so handy for those awkward spots).
Free Bead Weaving Designs
Pop along to our collection of free bead weaving designs and start making!
