Scrapbooking with Beads

written by Sherry DiPaolo

This month's Technique with Scrapaholix is all about beading. Our USA Leader, Louise Maine, has posted 2 layouts on this blog. You can also see many more sample layouts on our Scrapaholix Gallery. The Club Instructors did an awesome job using this techniqe.

Do you want to learn how to scrapbook with beads? If so, check out our Scrapaholix site and find a club near you. If you don't see one, check into starting one in your area.

This month's lesson will focus on how to incorporate beads into your layout. They add such a beautiful element to any page, whether it be for a boy, a girl, a family layout, or even a pet. Yes that is true...beads don't always have to be associated with femininity. The beads that come with this months Scrapaholix kit are seed beads and you get 3 packages in yellow, white, and pink.

What are seed beads? A very small bead about the size of bird seed. These are primarily used for covering the surface of an object. They range in size from 10/0 to about 22/0. The larger the number, the smaller the size. A 10/0 is often used by beginners. Most people work in 11/0 or 12/0. Beads smaller than 13/0 are rarely made today (some 14/0 are still in production). The very small sizes are hard to find and hard to work with). Most places stock sizes 10/0 - 13/0. Seed beads were introduced after 1840. Note that seed beads are sometimes called "rocailles." Seed Beads may be used for simple stringing, or as spacers between other beads in scrapbooking. Larger seed beads are used in various scrapbooking layouts for embellishments. All beads can be attached with fibers, wires, or glues.

When you participate in this month's Scrapaholix class you will be learning how to adhere the beads with threads and glue, so I want to add in a little more info about using wire.

When I think of beading I typically think of adhering them with wire. That's the beauty of Scrapaholix, they teach you new techniques and ideas and this month they taught me about using threads and glues.

Now back to wire...I think we all need to know a little about what wire is made up of and which ones to use. So I found a great post by Kimberly Chapman. This site is a how-to on several craft projects and for our use, beading and wire. I will summarize what she says about wire and you can check out her site for more details and other craft information.

Wire Sizes and Metal Types:
Wire is measured in gauges. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. The most common question asked about wire is how to know what size to use, and the most common answer is, "It depends on what you're doing with it."

The type of metal the wire is made out of matters. Steel wire is harder and therefore more rigid than copper wire. If you are using copper wire, opt for a higher gauge where more support is needed. For places where serious support is required, use steel.

32 Gauge (Lacing Wire):
This wire is about as thick as general sewing/beading thread, and about as strong. It has decent tensile strength when pulled straight, just like thread, but as soon as it gets kinked it is prone to breaking. It can be cut with scissors, but it does ruins the scissors' edge (use a pair exclusively for WIRE USE ONLY).

Do not use this size of wire to make petals or leaves, as they will be completely floppy, just as if you'd made them using thread. Rows will not hold against each other, even with small beads, and the entire petal/leaf will sag when it is attached to a stem. If you make an embellishment like a flower petal/leaf you can use this wire if you are then going to glue it down on a page. The floppiness won't matter in this case.

The reason this size of wire is often called "lacing wire" is because that's what it's really good for; lacing together rows on wide petals and leaves, or binding petals together at their bases. It is so thin that it hides nicely between beaded rows, especially if you use a light colour such as gold/brass for light beads and a dark colour such as green for dark beads. To learn the techniqe of lacing, check out Kimberly's site.

26, 24, 22 Gauges:
These gauges are best for petals and leaves. If you're using soft copper wire, 22 or 24 gauge is best, as 26 might be too floppy once a lot of beads are on it. If you're using steel wire, go for 24 or 26, as 22 can be difficult to bend and shape, and will more quickly make your hands sore and tired. You need wire cutters to cut this wire; some scissors may cut it if you work really hard and they absolutely destroy the scissors.

All three gauges fit most size 10 or 11 beads. Use a mix of cheap plastic beads from craft stores (which are usually size 10) and more expensive glass beads in size 11 from specialty bead stores. 24 gauge is a nice middle ground bead for most projects, but keep some 22 and 26 around in case you need something thicker or thinner for a specific piece.

18 Gauge (Stem Wire):
At this thickness, the wire is quite stiff and far too big for beads. This wire is used to attach petals and leaves to, thus forming the stem of each flower. For heavy flowers, one piece of stem wire may be insufficient; you may need to tape several together unless you can find even thicker gauges at a reasonable price.

You can bend 18 gauge wire with your bare hands, but to form loops or solid angles, you will need pliers. You will need wire cutters for sure, but it's not terribly hard to cut. Several pieces taped together takes some serious effort to cut with wire cutters, so it's best to cut before taping.

Now that you know what thicknesses and sizes wire come in you are ready to get scrapbooking. Kimberly has more in depth information for more elaborate beading techniques so be sure to check out her site. As for scrapbooking with beads, when you go to your Scrapaholix class you will learn about beading with threads, fibers, and glue. So sign up now for a Scrapaholix Class near you.