Stringing Materials & Methods
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Discover which types of necklace wire, cording, beading thread and other stringing materials will work for your bead stringing and handmade jewelry making. Beadalon®, SoftFlex™ and memory wire are just the tip of the beading supplies iceberg!
Wire Cable | Bead Cord | Leather & Cotton | Rubber, Plastic & Elastic
Fabric Cord, Ribbon & Mesh | Chokers & Pendant Cords | Chain & Wire
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Wire Cable
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Related Supplies
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Tigertail is one of the easiest stringing materials to use. It doesn't need a needle, and the ends are easy to finish with crimp beads. However, tigertail kinks easily and is weakened where it has kinked.
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Crimp Beads
Crimp Pliers
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Beadalon®, Soft Flex® & Soft Touch™ Beading Wires are similar to tigertail, but are stronger (often made of more strands) and have a soft-feeling plastic coating. These stringing cables do not kink unless extremely abused. The more strands they have, and the thicker the diameter, the more durable they are. Use crimp beads to finish the ends.
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Crimp Beads
Crimp Pliers
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Beadalon Jewelry Cable is similar to standard Beadalon, but is thicker and has no plastic coating. Cable can be separated, giving three to six wavy strands. Finish ends with crimp tubes w/ loops or sterling crimp-on ends.
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Crimp Ends w/ Loop
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Bead Cord
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Related Supplies
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Nylon and Silk Needle-End Cord is easy to use because a very fine needle is built onto the cord's end. Make the first necklace at the far end of the cord so the needle remains with the cord for the next necklace.Size #4 needle-end cord is popular for stringing Czech glass beads. Both the silk and nylon varieties knot well. Silk needle-end cord is a favorite for stringing larger gemstones and pearls. Bullion (French wire) is an elegant finishing method.
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Bead Tips
Bullion (French Wire)
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Nymo® Bead Thread requires a needle and is commonly used with English beading needles for Native American-style bead work. Size 'O' is very thin, so can go through most beads multiples times, or be doubled to make it thicker. Most beaders use beeswax to coat the cord. This keeps it from fraying and tangling as much when it repeatedly goes through tiny sharp beads.
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Bead Tips
Bullion (French Wire)
Beeswax
Needles
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SuperLon Bead Thread is thicker than Nymo, and available in a wide variety of colors. It works well for beadweaving with Japanese seed beads, and for beading on cloth or soft leather. It is commonly used with English beading needles. Most beaders coat the cord with beeswax to keep it from fraying and tangling when it repeatedly goes through small sharp bead holes.
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Bead Tips
Bullion (French Wire)
Beeswax
Needles
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Power Pro Cord is a very nice waxed nylon braided bead thread. It's just stiff enough, so that for general bead stringing, you don't need a needle! It also knots very nicely.
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Bead Tips
Bullion (French Wire)
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WildFire™ cord by Beadalon® is a bead-weaving and stringing thread that is super strong, knottable, 100% waterproof and no fray with near zero stretch. It cannot be pierced with a needle.
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Bead Tips
Bullion (French Wire)
Needles
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Leather & Cotton Cord
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Related Supplies
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Genuine Leather Cord is very easy to work with — string an interesting pendant with a few large-hole side beads, tie knots to hold the beads in place, and add a clasp. Or, make necklaces long enough to go over the head. Black, dark brown and natural colors are the most popular. Pre-made leather chokers/necklaces are also available; just attach a pendant and you're done!
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Coil Ends
Adjuster Beads
Sterling End Caps
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Imitation Leather Cord (a.k.a. faux leather) is more regular in size and color than genuine leather cord. It is not affected by water; however, it does not like to be frozen. Available by the spool, plus in pre-formed chokers/necklaces and bracelets.
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Coil Ends
Adjuster Beads
Sterling End Caps
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Bolo Cord is typically a braided round cord offered in vinyl, rayon and leather. For bolo ties, finish with bolo tips and bolo slides. For chokers or bracelets, the four-strand leather cord can be finished with #43-509 sterling hook & eye end caps, and the vinyl cord can be finished with #43-300 bullet ends.
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Bolo Tips & Slides
Sterling End Caps
Bullet Ends
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Plain and Braided Waxed Cotton Cord are both very similar to leather cord, but since they are machine-made, they are much more regular in size and color than genuine leather cord. Water does not seem to adversely affect either variety.
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Coil Ends
Adjuster Beads
Sterling End Caps
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Fine "Suede" Lace is a strong, thin, manmade suede-like cord. Finish single strands with #41-250 & #41-551 crimp ends with loops, or multiple strands with bullet ends.
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Crimp Ends w/ Loop
Bullet Ends
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Leather Cuff Bracelets are made from soft calf leather and colored with lead-free vegetable dyes. Complete with snap clasps, these bracelets are ready for your custom decoration.
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easy screw-on spikes
rivets & eyelets
leather-working tools
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Tafuri Tough™ Cuff Ends are handmade in the U.S.A. from soft, durable leather. Designed with holes to string or link through and a snap closure, they're perfect for creating multistrand bracelets, chokers, belts and more.
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Wire Protectors
Beadalon®
Soft Flex®
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Rubber, Plastic & Elastic
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Related Supplies
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Rubber Cording is round, flexible cording, great for showing off specialty beads and pendants. Finish the ends with sterling silver rubber cord ends and adhesive. Premade rubber chokers/necklaces are also available; just attach a pendant and you're done!
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Sterling End Caps
Tenax Plus
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Hollow Rubber Tubing can be used in continuous lengths to cover an entire piece of memory wire. Or, cut the tubing into sections and string smaller-hole beads directly onto memory wire or Beadalon, between sections of black tubing. Finish with rubber-tubing end caps and glue.
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Plated End Caps
Tenax Plus
Beadalon
Memory Wire
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SuppleMax™ is a soft, supple — but not stretchy — plastic cord. The clear style is designed for "illusion"(floating bead) necklaces, and looks good with pearls, translucent glass and gemstone beads. It is also available in black. Finish ends with crimp beads, superglue or square knots.
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Super Glue
Crimps
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Stretch Magic™ is a strong, flexible elastic cord. It is often used for "endless" crystal bead bracelets, or for nearly invisible stretchy hair bands and necklaces. Comes in clear and black. Ends may be seared (fused together), square knotted or crimped.
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Crimps
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Gossamer Floss™ is a strong, extremely stretchy five-ply semitranslucent cord. It knots very well, doesn't crimp, and the resultant tiny square knots can often be hidden inside beads. A dot of glue helps secure knots. We suggest size-10 beading needles, or a big-eye needle such as the Igolochkoy needle/threader.
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Needles
Hypo Cement
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Elastic Cord is normally used for inexpensive jewelry, especially where coordination might be a problem (great for kids' jewelry!). For durability, use the heaviest cord that will work for your beads. Finish with square knots.
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Fabric Cord, Ribbon & Mesh Tubing
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Related Supplies
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Rattail is a round, satin-like cord often used to show off one large centerpiece. Rough or thin edges fray this cord, so use necklace tubes instead of jump rings for backs of pendants. Single strands are usually finished with fold-over crimps, and multiple strands with bullet ends.
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Bullet Ends
Fold-Over Crimps
Necklace Tubes
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Braided Nylon Cord is popular for Chinese knotting. Normally finished with a loop and knot. Cut the cord with a #69-059 Perfect-End Thread Burner, to keep ends from fraying.
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Chinese Knots Book
Thread Burners
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Velvet Ribbon comes in a rainbow of rich colors! Made in England, our velvet ribbon is thick, luxurious and sold by the spool in three widths (3/8", 5/8" and 7/8"). It's great for single-strand bracelets and chokers. Pre-made unfinished-end velveteen chokers are also available; just attach a pendant and you're done!
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Choker Clamps
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Hand-dyed Silk Ribbon come in color blends with lovely ombre. These handmade ribbons come in 32"-36" lengths with finished edges and are 1/2" wide with tapered ends. They work great for necklaces and wrapped bracelets.
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Wirelace® Mesh Tubing is a nickel-free, waterproof and heat resistant mesh ribbon woven from very fine wires of brass/copper or aluminum and bonded with an enamel coating to create stunning colors. It's ideal for holding stones and other smooth objects without holes. Beads may be strung on and in most available sizes. Finish with bullet ends, fold-over crimps or choker clamps.
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Bullet Ends
Fold-Over Crimps
Choker Clamps
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Chokers & Pendant Cords
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Related Supplies
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Wire Chokers are available in both base metal and sterling silver. Some large-hole beads may be slipped over the ends. Pendants are generally attached with jump or split rings, or handmade wire-wrapped attachments.
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Jump Rings
Split Rings
Wire
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Magnetic Chokers are coated-steel neck rings with a strong magnetic barrel clasp. Beads with 2.7mm and larger holes can be strung over the smaller clasp end, and of course bails and jump rings can be used to hang anything else. Highly versatile — can be worn with a different bead or pendant every day!
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Split Rings
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Sterling Silver Cable Chokers are very easy to use. For the crimp-end style, string beads directly onto the choker, then securely crimp the ends. For the twist-lock and friction-clasp styles, simply slip pendants on and off; charms may be attached with split rings.
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Split Rings
Open Sterling Bail
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Nylon Necklace Cords are nice looking yet inexpensive options for displaying handmade pendants. They are available in a variety of colors, styles and sizes.
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Thread Burners
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Flocked Necklace Cords are sleek and inexpensive with a "velveteen" outer coating. Use a large jump ring or wire-wrap a bail to attach a pendant.
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Jump Rings
Wire
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Chain & Wire
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Related Supplies
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Metal Chain is available by the spool or as finished necklaces and bracelets. It is used for everything from stringing heavy heirloom squash-blossom necklaces, to free-form multistrand beaded chain necklaces, to linking delicate filigree findings and crystal beads.
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Jump Rings
Split Rings
Clasps
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Wooden Chain offers a big look with a lightweight touch! Available in 14-16" strands, our wooden chain comes in ebony, bayong, gray wood and patikan in a variety of styles. Links are solid and must be cut to come apart. Use as-is, seed bead individual links, combine with metal chain and more.
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Memory Wire is very strong coiled wire that retains its coiled shape. Use for chokers, bracelets, wine-glass charms and rings. Finish ends with memory-wire end caps, or use durable round-nose pliers to twist ends into loops, then dangle charms or beads from the end loops.
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Memory-Wire Ends
Heavy-Duty Cutters
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