Bead Jewelry 101

Great book for beginner beaders or those who want a bit of a reminder of the first steps. The book is incredibly well laid out. It starts running through all of the tools and materials that one will come across, and gives great advice on starting out and on selecting items to invest in.
It then deals with construction techniques before moving on to a large number of patterns. These are brilliant. Whilst they are suitable projects for beginners, they look as though they could have been bought from any good jewellery store! There are a wonderful mixture of earrings, bracelets and necklaces and a few others such as glasses chains, all arranged in the type of findings e.g. beading wire, headpins, chain etc.
Highly recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was just granted Bead Jewelry 101 and I could not wait until I read the book. Needless to say I devoured it immediately. The instructions are easy to understand and great for a beginning. The images and appealing and the projects are just right. Having done some jewelry of my own in the past I wanted to learn how to do the endings correctly. This book did the trick.

I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Highly recommend you buy this book and I give it a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been playing around with beads for sometime but have never really know the extent I could take my hobby too. This book is well written with clear and precise instructions with lots of pictures. In the beginning, there is a clear explanation of all the materials needed and then there is a large number of projects showing how to use the different elements of beading. I found this book all a beginner would need. I received this book as an ARC and will be using it often to help support my hobby.

My review can be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2918151259

Here is also a copy of my review:

For a semi-beginner jewelry maker such as myself Bead Jewelry 101 was supremely helpful. The book offers very clear descriptions and photos of all the materials you'll need to start making your own jewelry. It includes, among other things, a chart for bead sizes, photos of pliers and other tools, and detailed explanations of different chains, clasps, parts of earrings, wire, and of course - beads! Lots and lots of beads! Ever heard of a rondelle or a bicone? You'll find images to these beads and more at the very start of the book.

Then, the book explains how to construct your jewelry by using some of the basic techniques of working with wire (and other materials). Meaning, you'll find out just how to use all of those pliers you'll need. There is a link at the beginning of the book that'll help you with this step - the link leads you to a webpage filled with instructional videos on different techniques.

And after the tools and techniques, the book lists a wide variety of projects with instructions, photos, and my favourite parts of the book: tips and quick reference boxes. These informational tips will tell you the things you absolutely need to know in order for you to successfully complete your projects without accidentally destroying your beads, choosing the wrong number or amount of items for your project, and so on. For instance, a reference box might tell you how to determine the desired length of your necklace or how to properly stack beads of different sizes.

Lastly, here are a few pluses and tiny minuses that I'd give this book.

Pluses:

+ Clear instructions with excellent photos.
+ A link to videos which help a lot (especially with getting started).
+ Lots of varied projects: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.
+ A few projects made of recycled materials - which I loved!
+ The extremely helpful tips and reference boxes.
+ A well-constructed book with a straightforward layout and contents.


Minuses:

- While there are plenty of awesome projects in this book, I found that they weren't really in my style. And this is just a personal preference thing, I'm sure. The projects and the beads used in them seemed somewhat bohemian and artsy - perhaps too flashy for my taste. There were a few simple earrings and bracelets that I found charming, though. And of course, the projects can always be altered to suit personal tastes.

- I've seen a few videos of how to attach a crimp bead/tube, and I found the technique in this book slightly lacking in explanation. Perhaps there are several good or correct ways to do it, but I would have hoped for three additional pieces of advice concerning the crimping:

1) When the crimp tube is placed on the crimping pliers (to be crimped for the first time), the wire should be placed so that it is split on either side of the little notch in the pliers. The wire shouldn't just be mushed inside the tube haphazardly, but it should be carefully placed so that it's divided. (If that makes sense?)
2) The video attached to the crimp bead instructions said to cut the wire right after the tube has been attached/crimped shut. I would advise, however, that you leave a short tail of the wire, and then string it back inside the beads next to the crimp tube, if the wire fits inside the beads, that is. That's how you'll make sure that the wire doesn't stick out too much or come loose too quickly if the crimp tube somehow opens.
3) I might have missed it, but I didn't see a mention of crimp tube cover beads anywhere? As in, if you wish to cover the crimp tube with a lovely metal bead cover, you could add that after the crimping. Also, especially with bracelets, some jewelry-makers have suggested using a wire cover (a tiny horse-shoe shaped metal bead) to go around the bent wire. But as with any book and hobby, it's impossible to list every tiny little detail imaginable. This book, however, does a great job at covering all of the necessary basics of beaded jewelry making.

I would recommend this book to anyone who considers starting jewelry making as a hobby!
It's also an excellent reference book of terms, materials, and projects.

Bead Jewelry 101 by Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell is a definite must have for beginning beading enthusiasts. The introductory pages are full of information on the hundreds of types of beads and findings that are available. The photographs are clear and colorful. For each project there is written as well as photographic instruction. So for those of you who are visual learners this book is a handy reference guide. There are many projects covering how to use head pins, jump rings, and various other items in excellent detail.
The authors chose wonderful and versatile projects that can be adapted in many variations. Well Done.
I would like Quarto Publishing, the authors and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some very nice pieces to make, with nice, clear instructions and photos. Many pieces are quite simple and ideal for beginners, tying jewellery making for the first time. But some nice ideas and back to basics ideas even for people who have been making jewellery for more years than they care to count, like me! I especially like some of the jump ring based pieces.
A good clear intro for beginners on tools, equipment and types of beads and a good mix of projects to suit most people.

A good basic introduction to Bead Jewelry. Clear instructions and lots of photographs. Some nice projects to make too.

I have always wanted to try to create my own jewellery and when I saw this book,I was initially attracted by the cover.

The content did not disappoint!
The instructions as clear and they are accompanied by lovely and easy pictures.
As a beginner,I have found this book very informative and easy to follow.
I particularly appreciated the part where tools are suggested.You don’t often know where to start as a beginner.

There are different ‘projects’ or ideas(earrings,bracelets etc.) to recreate and easy techniques are explained step by step.

I really enjoyed this book! A great way to get into the bead jewelry craftmanship.

Beautiful book. Great and easy to follow step by step instructions. Informative of what tools are needed from what to use, beads, findings etc with some lovely ideas of what and how to make it. Well illustrated of what you need and what to do. Great for beginners. Overall a very good book. I would definitely recommend to anyone especially any crafter starting out and interested in beading.

I will so be trying out most of the steps in this book to make Bead Jewelry. Easy to follow steps - great job

DIYers unite! If you have been looking to make your own beaded jewelry but just haven’t gotten the hang of it or don’t know where to start, this is a good book to turn to. From an introduction to basic tools and techniques you will be ready to take on one of the projects in the book.

Using the easy to follow, step-by-step instructions help you from start to finish, you’ll be wearing your own custom designs in no time. Get your creative juices flowing and give this book a try.

Phew, saved by the book. Would have gone out to a bead shop and gone into hyperventilate mode, spent a fortune and probably missed out the really important bits.
This book really takes you by the clammy paw and carefully walks you through the maze that is beading. 200 pages of beady bliss! Starting with a picture glossary to familiarise you with tools, findings and the myriad of available bead types. I’ve struggled before with the right techy terms for ordering bits on the web - now I’m fully conversant in bead-ese.
You’ve now graduated to begin with your first project. And again the book impresses by gradually easing you into *gasp* proper jewellery making. Yay!
Well illustrated, step-by-step guidance, building construction skills on the way. Each project is headed by a “What you’ll learn”, “What you’ll need” and a “Materials” section, so there won’t be any “d’oh!” moments mid-project. Every project is interspersed with recap points, reference to previously learnt points and tips on design and wearability. They really thought of everything!
Alrady considering this book as a Christmas present for a “crafty” friend!

This is a wonderful step-by-step guide to jewelry making that takes the mystery out of the process. It is a great resource for the amateur enthusiast, and gives easily followed directions.

Bead Jewelry 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques is a reformatting and updated re-release of the original tutorial book from 2011. Due out 3rd Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's a comprehensive 200 pages, and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. This is part of the 101:Workshop in a Book series.

There is a deep satisfaction in being able to make unique beaded items to coordinate with an outfit or specific room decor. This book has 30 well illustrated tutorials for projects including earrings, necklaces, brooches, and more. It also contains links to additional online content with short video tutorials on a broad range of beading related topics. The jewelry tutorials can be adapted for lamp pulls, curtain tie-backs, window sun-catchers, tassels, limited only by the reader's imagination.

The layout and graphics are attractive and easy to read. The introduction (16% of the page content) contains definitions, tools, supplies, and concepts used in the following chapters. Most of the tools and supplies are easily sourceable; most readers will already own some of them. The tutorial projects are arranged thematically, 3 per chapter. The chapters incorporate different techniques or units of construction. I especially liked the chapter on repurposing found objects and old jewelry into new components. The end of the book contains a good resources list (including links for non-North American readers!), as well as an artist bio and index.

This is a good introduction to stringing bead jewelry. Note, this book does not cover bead-weaving and none of the projects use weaving techniques such as right-angle-weave, Peyote, or similar.

Four stars. A valuable addition to the bead crafter's library.

Bead Jewelry 101 is very impressive in its comprehensiveness. Particularly helpful is the photographic glossary of the tools, findings (components used to assemble jewelry), accessories and beads. When you combine this with beautiful photography throughout, detailed construction techniques and a very large projects section (at least 3 projects for each 'finding' - each of which tells you "what you'll learn" and "what you'll need"), you have a book that tells you everything you need to know to successfully start a new hobby!

This would be a great reference tool for anyone interested in bead jewelry.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarry Books, and the author for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you ever wanted to make beaded jewelry or have dabbled in some areas but there are other things you want to learn, then this is the book for you. This is a Look, Learn, Create book that features large photos illustrating each step.

This Workshop in a Book begins with a 20-page Photographic Glossary that will visually acquaint the reader with all sorts of findings, tools, beads and accessories. For example, you will see 5 different types of chain and 12 kinds of clasps. It also includes beads in every shape, finish, material and type. This section is a great resource and you will probably encounter something you haven’t seen before or never knew how to use it or what it’s for. The next section shows you the basic techniques and how to do them, including making a loop, how to open and close a jump ring, adding a clasp, using crimp beads and more.

What i especially love about this book is that each chapter is organized around a particular finding so it teaches you about the different uses for that finding. This is different from other books which just have a bunch of different projects, which hopefully covers a specific technique you want to learn. The chapters include headpins, eye pins, jump rings, beading cable, wire, chain, memory wire, filigree, and other stringing material.

Each chapter includes three projects using that particular finding and shows you step-by-step how to make a piece of jewelry with close-up photos showing the techniques. As an example, the headpin projects are: basic drop earrings, multi-drop necklace and a beaded cluster bracelet.

With over 25 projects, there will certainly be something you will want to make or learn. Beaded Jewelry 101 is a great resource that will help you succeed at making beaded jewelry.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

As you can see, from the sample projects above, you do get a wide varied amount of techniques to learn! Personally, looking at the book, there were just 3 that I have not made before (really 2, because chain mail and I are not friendly AT ALL-jump rings be my mortal enemy, just sayin...), and the instructions are SO easy, and direct with the included photos, that I know I could make one of those projects quite easily with the book! NO video needed!

For the beginner to beaded jewelry, Ann does a great job in walking you through the different materials and tools that are available (see collage below for samples), and giving you the basics first, like adding a jump ring, or tying a bead knot, before she gets you into the project pages. There are at least 3 projects per technique, so by the end of the book, you will have quite a few pieces made (Christmas IS coming...) and be well on your way to being an novice beader! Both my daughter and I really appreciated the re-purpose/recycle projects, that teach you to see old pieces for the good 'bones' (aka beads) they have and to use them in a new way, for a great looking piece! What a great way to rescue broken pieces that mean so much to you!

I DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone interested in making jewelry. It would be a great birthday present for a teen or tween, along with a gift card or small basket of supplies!

Bead Jewelry 101 is an excellent book on how to create jewelry. I like the section about tools, different parts, and types of beads (material, shapes). When you start, you usually don't know these things, so this section is necessary, in my opinion.

I like projects, a variety of projects and simple instructions on how to make. I like the idea of adding variations – that look quite different but are variations and are not always the same type of jewelry.

It is suitable for beginners but also those who made their jewelry before will find a technique they don't know or inspiration.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. :)

Great book for anyone wanting to learn how to make jewelry, plenty of projects and very easy steps for anyone to be able to learn, heck I wished I would have found this book when I started making beaded jewelry a few years back.

I would strongly recommend this for anyone that would like to test the water of jewelry making, this book is simple and full of information on materials and tools, but I have to admit it would benefit an advance jewelry maker that is in need of inspiration because after reading through the book I found some inspiration with a few of these projects to twist to my own.

W wonderfully descriptive book about creating jewelry for anyone with little to no experience. Love the detailed explanations as well as the photos accompanying them. Even those with intermediate experience could benefit by trying a new design or method they haven’t had a chance to explore. My only suggestion is that in the beginning explain that not all headpins can be used with adding a seed bead before the larger bead or your bead will immediately fall off.
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

Very nice book. A great primer in the beginning of different tools, findings and beads. I believe many of these tools may be found at a local craft store. I have only dabbled with knitting/crochet projects with beads but this book should allow me to try something different. There are some really neat necklace/bracelet projects in this book that make great gifts. I don’t really like earrings with French hooks but the earrings featured in this book are current and trendy. Thank you for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this book.

This book makes you feel that you can make the jewelry of your dreams! There are lots of illustrations, as well as instructions covering what kinds of supplies and tools to buy, how to plan a project, and how to use various techniques to achieve the results you want. There are even notes on design and form, not just technical instructions. It's written simply enough that a youngster could follow it, but would be a helpful guide for aspiring makers of all ages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC.

This is a wonderfully comprehensive how-to book about making beaded jewelry. Along with clear, detailed written directions, there are lots and lots of photos to show how to make the creations shown, from easy to complex. A list of methods, tools, and materials is included at the beginning of the book, and for the different projects throughout the book. I’m looking forward to making some of the jewelry designs featured in this book! Highly recommended for the beginner, as well as more experienced, for learning techniques.

As someone with a beading hobby who is a little out of practice, I was eager to check out this title.

I love how the book starts with an extensive visual glossary. This would be very helpful for beginning beaders, as the equipment list for this craft can at first seem overwhelming. The glossary includes the tools needed to get started as well as the myriad of shapes beads themselves come in (potato, vs. seed vs. dichroic, etc.).

Construction techniques are easy enough to follow and illustrated through color photographs. There are also dozens of project ideas, all with clear instructions and product lists. Not all are my style, but they provide a good stepping stone that I can put my own personal stamp on.

There is also a nice resource list at the end of the book, which includes some of my most-loved beading websites.

Overall, this is a handy little book to introduce people into this craft and I'd definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for providing this review copy.

I’ve been beading for almost two years. As I read this book, I wished I had it when I was learning to bead. Of course, I am still learning. I love the illustrations and the information given in this book. It has answered some questions I had been thinking about making a piece of jewelry and I found the answer! If you are just learning or have been doing it, this is a book I highly recommend getting.

This book had some nice projects in the book. Although I never attempted any of the projects. I enjoyed flipping through the pages. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This is very straightforward and I enjoyed the visuals. It has enough information that I feel good about learning beading techniques but it is not too wordy.

A great book for anyone interested in making bead jewelry. It covers all the things you'll need to get started- tools, findings, stringing materials, and of course, beads. I appreciated how much coverage the beads got in this book; the authors discussed bead materials, finishes, and shapes extensively, and I learned some things I didn't know before. Techniques are discussed and pictured, then we move on to projects. There is a nice progression of projects, starting with very basic and moving up through more complicated work, but nothing so difficult that a beginner couldn't do it. Each project gives variations of the original idea, sparking creativity. There are some lovely projects included, I'm already planning my own versions! I especially enjoyed the chapter on reusing and repurposing broken/old jewelry and other beaded or jewelry worthy items, as this is something I very much enjoy doing. My only complaint about the book is the instruction on how to make loops, both basic and wrapped. While there isn't only one "right" way to do it and each beader will vary on how exactly they make loops, I personally don't care for the way the authors show them in the projects, I prefer a different method; also, I felt the part on making wrapped loops could've used 2 or 3 more pictures of the steps and a bit more explanation. Not a big complaint, and it's more personal preference than anything actually wrong with the book. Overall, this book covers a lot in an accessible way, is clear and easy to understand, and I found it to be a step above most beginner bead jewelry books!

#BeadJewelry101 #NetGalley

Not only does this book teach all the uses of tools and as many materials as possible, but it also includes projects to teach skills and build more progress. Great step by step photo guides. Can be a great gift for a beginner or even an experienced jewelry maker as a reference guide.