With beading growing in popularity finding supplies is easy. Be it online or in a local craft store, beads, findings, and even kits come in a wide variety of selections. Yes kits. Kits are great ways to try something new. Depending on where you shop, you'll get directions, and all the materials needed to make a finished piece. Some kits may not include stringing material, so double check. Also see what tools are needed before you are home and ready to craft.
A few weeks ago I picked up a kit on a whim at my local bead store.
Glass Garden Beads is the company that created the kit, it's their
fairy kit, the pink one to be precise. They had everything I needed in the kit to make the fairy, I only needed to use tools I already had at home. They even had enough of the craft wire for the "spine" of the fairy so that when I goofed on the wrapped loop at the top I was able to pull that piece out and start over. (The arms and legs were on head-pins, so luckily I didn't have to re-string the beads for them).
As far as tools went, I used my round nose pliers, wire cutters, and my chain nose pliers helped with the wrapped loop at the top. For someone just starting out, the round nose and cutters would have been fine.
Artbeads the website I like to buy online from, does have a tutorial on
wrapped loops. For those lacking chain nose pliers, that first step can be skipped. The loop can be made without the 90 degree bend, it just doesn't look quite as neat. (And I think the bend helps more with a
simple loop anyways then a wrapped).
Note:
Round nose pliers - These look like two cones on the end of a pair of pliers, handy for curving wire
Chain nose pliers - These look like needle nose pliers, only they lack the "teeth", leaving a flat surface inside the pliers jaws. While they are much less likely to scratch your findings then needle nose, they still can scratch. I have two pairs of these pliers, which makes opening and closing jump rings easy.
A handy tool for working with wire, one which sometimes isn't used as much as it could be. I have seen people recommend having a pair of these for straightening wire, a good reason for a pair on its own. However this tool is far from a one trick pony (to use an Alton Brown term). I have used them to shape wire in more ways than simply making it straight. I've done some shaping with my nylon pliers that I've done before with my chain nosed ones, with the added benefit of having the nylon to protect the wire. This means less scratching.
If you look at the close up of the "jaws" of this tool, you can see that the nylon comes to a nice right angle on the sides. Very useful in making a square shape out of wire. Simply hold the wire in the jaws and bend over the side. I have also done spirals with wire using this tool. Round nose pliers are still needed to get the initial curve to start the spiral, but once that is in place, the wire can be held with the nylon jaw pliers while bending it into a spiral shape. Artbeads.com has a handy tutorial on making spirals out of wire, simply replace the chain nose pliers with nylon jaw ones. Depending on the wire, the first turn or two might still need the chain nose. If the start of the coil slips out of the nylon then work with the chain nose for that turn and try again with the nylon.
