Types of Beads

You will also find ideas on items you can recycle as beads.

As you become more familiar with beading crafts and start looking at supplies you will gain a better idea of which type of bead is suitable for your project.

This guide will  help you with a brief overview of the most common types of beads available.

There are many different types of glass beads available in lots of different styles, colors and sizes.

There are far too many to list them all but here are a few that give some idea of the range available.

Venetian glass beads – various sizes and shapes they are highly decorated and get their name from where they are made.

These are small beads that look a bit like seeds, they are sometimes called rocailles.

They are mostly made of glass but there are some plastic/acrylic ones available.

They come in huge variety of colors and finishes and are usually bought by weight.

These are narrow glass tubes they also come in a wide range of colors and styles.

They are usually made from glass by fusing glass rods around a central core.

They can also be made using polymer clay by joining long strings of clay together around a central string. 

They come in lots of different shapes and colors.

These glass beads look like they have cracks all over the inside but are smooth and unbroken on the surface.

There are a whole range of beads made from seeds, bone, shell, mother of pearl, wood or horn.

These natural materials have been used for hundreds of years to make jewellery and look great with natural cord.

They can be bought with pre-drilled holes or without.

Those without holes can be put into cages, wire-wrapped or you can glue them to your desired finding such as a bail.

They can be expensive but are great as a central stone or pendant in a necklace.

Chips of semi precious stones usually already drilled with a hole for stringing.

They are not regular in shape and come in different sizes though most are small.

As the name suggests these are made from bits of shell.

They can be dyed or polished or just left natural.

You can use a whole shell or bits of a shell.

This is the shiny inner shell that you find in some molluscs.

It's proper name is nacre but it is known as mother of pearl (MOP) because it is also the substance that is found on the outer layer of pearls.

Wood makes great beads and it is light weight and feels warm to touch.

Any wood can be used and the beads can be finished with paints and varnish or left natural.

Real pearl beads are expensive but there is a wide range of artificial ones that are much cheaper.

They come in a range of sizes and as well as the round ones you can get oval or drop shapes with a lovely pearly sheen to them.

These beads usually have large holes and are often used as spacers between other beads.

Make sure you know the metal content of any beads you purchase.

Many people are allergic to nickel and it's use is regulated in many countries. 

This type of bead is usually made from metal that is then decorated with wire and enamels.

Each bead has thin metal wire soldered in place to create an outline pattern.

Vibrant enamels are painted in between the wire sections then the bead is fired. 

These beads are easy to make and are great for kids to play with.

They make cheap and cheerful beads that can be used for lots of different craft ideas.

Paint them in different colors to use as counting beads or you can use them to make a pretty bracelet or pasta necklace.

Drinking straws beads are great for kids to use to make their own jewelry. 

Cut them into various sizes to make brightly colored jewelry that won't break the bank.

Paper beads are easy to make and the kids will love making them into bracelets or necklaces.

Plain or patterned paper can be tightly rolled around a knitting needle or thin metal bar to create beads.

A little varnish will keep them bright and long lasting.

Polymer clay is great for making beads.

The colors of the clay stay vibrant even after baking and you can get really intricate detail on a bead made with clay canes. 

These beads are made using layers of clay rolled together and formed into round or tube shaped beads.

This type of bead was made from clay canes.

Similar to how the millifiori beads are made.

Learn how to make your own polymer clay beads from canes.

Salt dough beads are easy to make and cost very little. 

You can add color by mixing paint or food coloring into the dough or by painting the beads after they have been baked.