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Tool & Supply Showcase: The Best Beading Tools & Supplies |
We have showcased some of our most popular supplies, and in some cases, best kept secrets! Read on about 'Slick' cord, Illusion cord, the ring tool, pliers & more!
This lovely stuff was a sleeper in our store until we took the time to play around with it. There are limitless possibilities: it's thin enough to strand lots of varied Lucite, crystal and glass beads onto and thick enough to make a bold statement. Similar to the look of leather, another popular black cord, but with a slicker look to it, by placing knots on either side of your beads you can create a traditional or more edgy design.
View the Knotted Cord & Lucite Necklace Design
This is the cord you want to choose when designing floating necklaces or those multi-strand stunners that look to have beads cascading on air. Simply suspend beads on the cord by first stringing on a crimp bead, then your bead of choice, and another crimp. Close crimps where you want to position your floating bead and move on to the next one. Choose Swarovski crystals to sparkle on your skin, or use bold large lucite beads in a longer design. With the right stringing cord, the choices are endless.
A classic tool that should be a staple in any designers arsenal of tools. This mandrel is a nice selection for making rings using wire, or sizing beaded rings either woven or on stretchy or Soft-Flex type cords. You can also make your own earring hoops if you soften the ends of your wire with a bur cup and with this wooden dandy, they'll match. Create toggles or anything round that you might hammer with wire and need a base to model it on.Â
Seed Bead spills got you down? No worries if you own one of these little babies. Simply slide it across your table, couch, floor or wherever the baubles have landed and your mess is gone in minutes. The narrow channel also easily pours your scooping into long, thin seed bead tubes without overflow. Maybe you're not so messy? These tools are still perfect for digging that tiny bead out of the small compartment you have it in, or for cleaning up organized work spaces when your project is finished.
Unlike back when we first opened in 1993, there is a wide array of jewelry tools available to the designer today. We carry many brands and grades here at The Beadin? Path as well. However, this designer's favorite tool by far is the Professional-grade, round-nose plier, made in Germany under the EuroTool label. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than many of the round-nosed economy pliers available today, but I have had mine for over 10 years and counting. They look just like they did the day I bought them - no rubber slipping off the grips, no fatigue or bending to the tips: you'll be glad you invested in the best.
This is the tool for the perennial recycler. Nylon Jaw pliers can turn scraps and scrids of wire, into usable, straightened wire pieces in seconds. Simply run these babies over your curled up, bent up leftovers and you'll instantly have clean and ready to bend new wire. Also use it to prep your softer wires by hardening the wire when you run the pliers down the length of your wire a few times before or after you do your wire work.
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Illusion Cord
EuroTool German Round-Nose Pliers
