As small shops have to find other ways of working or expanding their online presence during the current situation I thought I would write a Beadweaving tutorial using beads bought recently from my local bead shop.
I have visited The Bead Shop Nottingham several times but most often find myself doing a little bit of impulsive online shopping. The staff are friendly and my orders always arrive promptly, often next day if I order early enough (or in the middle of the night! Hello insomnia).
My husband has also visited the shop several times, either with a shopping list from me or at Christmas when he goes in to buy me beads as a gift.
Whilst large shops will always be there, this is a great time to remember those smaller companies that shape our high streets and make our cities unique. They need more support now than ever before.
Right, what you are here for, the tutorial. I’ve tried to be reasonably thorough so that beginners can have a go so grab a cuppa and settle yourself down….
Gemduo Beadweaving Bracelet Tutorial
You will need –
- Matubo Gemduo Backlit Violet Ice (10g)
- Size 11 Seed Beads in Iridescent Purple
- Size 11 Seed Beads in Silver Lined Clear
- 3mm Faceted Czech Glass Crystal AB
- 4mm Faceted Czech Glass Crystal AB
- Miyuki Half Tila Beads Iridescent Amethyst (5g is more that enough)
- Silver Plated Jump Rings
- Silver Plated Clasp
- Beading Thread – I used Wildfire 0.15mm in Grey
- Beading needle – I used a size 12
Let’s get beading!
1. On half an arm span of beading thread pick up 6 Gemduos on the needle making sure they are all facing the right way up. I like to tie a knot here to stop the beading moving around. Leave a tail thread to be weaved in at the end.
2. Pass the needle through a gemduo to move away from the knot and pick up 1 x 4mm crystal.
3. Take the needle through the gemduo directly opposite the gemduo that the thread is exiting from. I went diagonally so that the threads will form an ‘x’ shape after the two next steps.
4. Pull the thread to tighten and take the needle back through the 4mm crystal.
5. Take the needle through the gemduo that you originally exited from but from the other side. Pull the thread to tighten. This will make the crystal sit nicely in the middle of the beadwork.
6. Pass the needle through the 4mm again and pick up 5 x Iridescent Purple seed beads.
7. Take the needle through the 4mm again, moving up towards the seedbeads.
8. Pick up 5 more Iridescent Purple seed beads and take the needle through the 4mm crystal. This will make the seed beads hug round the crystal.
9. Pass the needle through one side of seeds beads. The thread will exit out the last bead.
10. Pick up 1 x Iridescent Purple seed bead and take the needle into the beading on the other side.
11. Move the needle through the beadwork so it exits out of the last seed bead (where there is an obvious gap).
12. Pick up 1 x Iridescent Purple seed bead and take the needle into the beadwork on the other side.
13. Take the needle through the seed beads until you reach the hole on the crystal. Pass the needle through the crystal.
14. Take the needle through the lower hole on the Gemduo directly in front of where you have exited out of the crystal. Next, step up to the top hole on the Gemduo. The thread will be visible, hugging the outside of the bead. Don’t worry we will be covering it in a bit.
15. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal, 1 x Iridescent purple and take the needle into the next Gemduo along.
16. Repeat step 15 all the way around.
17. Move the needle through the beadwork so that the thread exits out of one on the Iridescent purple beads just after the Gemduo. Pick up 3 x Iridescent purple seed beads.
18. Take the needle down through the neared Iridescent purple bead in the centre. It will be the bead sitting between two Gemduos.
19. Pull the thread to tighten and pick up 1 x Iridescent purple seed bead.
20. Take the needle through the middle Iridescent purple bead sitting between the Gemduos.
21. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple seed bead and then take the needle into the Iridescent purple bead sitting next to the 3mm crystal.
22. Take the needle through the next Gemduo and seed bead along.
23. Pick up 3 x Iridescent purple seed beads and into an Iridescent purple sitting around the 4mm crystal. There are 12 seed beads around this crystal and this step will be done 6 times so use alternating beads for this step.
24. Repeat steps 18 – 23 all the way around. Weave in the thread and tail thread, one at a time, knotting as you go. Cut off any excess threads.
Repeat this process 4 more times. This will make a 7″ bracelet. If you need a longer bracelet you could make 6 Gemduo clusters.
If you need help knotting and weaving in your threads I have posted how I do it at the bottom of this blog post. There is even a video there where I show it.
25. On a new longer length of thread (I used just over an arm span) pick up 1 x 3mm crystal, 8 x Iridescent purple seed beads and a jump ring.
26. Take the needle through the 3mm again but from the opposite side. This will make the seed beads form a loop. Take the needle through all these beads again to reinforce the beadwork.
27. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystals and 1 x Iridescent purple. Then pass the needle into one of the 3mm crystals around the edge of a Gemduo cluster.
28. Pick up 5 x Silver lined seed beads and take the needle into the next 3mm crystal along.
29. Pick up 5 more Silver lined seed beads and take the needle into the next 3mm crystal along.
30. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal, 1 x half tila, 1 x 3mm crystal and 1 x Iridescent purple.
31. Take the needle into a 3mm crystal on another Gemduo cluster.
32. Add on two lots of Silver lined seed beads as described in steps 28 and 29.
33. Repeat steps 30 – 32 until all the Gemduo clusters have been added.
34. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal, 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal, 8 x Iridescent purple and 1 jump ring.
35. Take the needle back through the second 3mm crystal from the opposite side to pull the seed beads into a loop.
36. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal and 1 x Iridescent purple. Take the needle through the 3mm crystal on the nearest Gemduo cluster.
37. Add the Silver lined seed beads as you did on the other side of the cluster.
38. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal and take the needle through the second hole on the half Tila bead.
39. Pick up 1 x 3mm crystal and 1 x Iridescent purple. Take the needle into the 3mm crystal on the next Gemduo cluster along.
40. Repeat steps 37 – 39 all the way down the bracelet. The thread exits out of the last 3mm crystal on the last cluster.
41. Pick up 1 x Iridescent purple, 1 x 3mm crystal and 1 x Iridescent purple. Next, take the needle into the 3mm at the base of the loop formed in step 35.
42. Move the needle down through the beadwork until it exits out of the first Silver lined seed bead on the second cluster down.
43. Pick up 6 Silver lined seed beads and take the needle through the half Tila bead.
44. Pick up 6 more Silver lined seed beads and take the needle down into the first Silver lined seed bead on the first bead cluster.
45. Move the needle through the beadwork so it exits out the half Tila and up into the first Silver lined seed bead.
46. Pick up 1 x Silver lined seed bead and take the needle down into the first seed bead on the other side.
47. Repeat steps 42 – 46 all the way down the length of the bracelet. At the other end take the needle through the beadwork so that it exits on the other side.
48. Repeat steps 42 – 46 all the way down the other side of the bracelet. Weave in thread ends knotting as you go and cut off any excess thread. Again, if you need help with this then I show how here (bottom of the post).
49. Attach your clasp and enjoy your new bracelet.
As a variation you could make the cluster and attach just one loop from the top and wear it as a bracelet or earrings.
Wow, that was a looooong post. I hope you are still with me. More Beadweaving tutorials can be found here.
Thanks for reading.
Hannah x
The Artisan Duck 
Leave a Reply