Our Favorite Beading Work Surface

✓Let the Interweave Knits Winter 2024 issue transport you to a winter wonderland of cozy knits! This remarkable edition features 14 extraordinary projects to immerse yourself in the uniqueness of specially crafted yarns.

While you can technically bead on any surface, having a surface that’s designed just for beading can make a huge difference. We have a clear favorite, and it’s the Bead On It Board, a clever, portable solution that prevents beads from rolling away, allows you to nest needles, and gives you a soft work surface.

Beaders love the Bead On It Board and there are loads of reasons why. From the cushioned edges to the super soft surface, many professional bead artists and designers recommend using this type of beading board or similar work surface. We asked some of our beading instructors to share their tips and tricks for working with a beading work surface, as well as why they love the Bead On It Board in particular. Keep reading to discover all of the reasons why a soft surface makes it easier to bead.

Carol Cypher: Wine and Beads

The soft fabric on the underside prevents marring the work table. Or you can place a piece of non-slip material underneath it to make sure it stays in one place.
Made in USA and made to last. You would never know that I spilled an entire glass of merlot onto one of mine. The only evidence, after thoroughly blotting up every drop with a couple kitchen towels, is the faintest gray trace.
Though sturdy and firm, is entirely soft. This enables me to pin a project to the surface or rim, for cross-needle-weave and macramé, while being comfortable, should my wrist rest on the edge while beading.

Discover Carol’s courses on African helix stitch and polygon stitch or find out more about Carol by reading: “Beading as a Way of Life: Inspiration and Advice from Carol Cypher”.

Kinga Nichols: Support a Small Business

I love the fact that using a Bead On It Board supports a small business. While the board is certainly the best beading surface out there, it is also made with the nicest quality materials and the best sizes and shapes to fit all beady needs.
My Bead On It Board is the ideal size for travel. Besides being large enough for projects requiring quite a few piles of beads laid out, it is still small and light enough to carry with me on my travels.
The cream velvet surface makes it easy to find the right bead. It also makes the beads “stand up” with their holes pointing upward.

Check out Kinga’s Advanced Bead Weaving Series: Seed Bead Embroidery, including five courses to help you advance your bead embroidery skills. To learn more about Kinga, read “Bead Embroidery Artist Kinga Nichols Shares Her Perspective of the World” or visit her website.

Tree of Life Pendant, *Quick + Easy Beadwork* Winter 2016

Tammy Honaman: Bead on the Go

I love my Bead On It Board is for how easy it is to bring with me wherever I’m going. The design is sturdy so the board is easily balanced while it’s on my lap in the car or on a tray in an airplane. Plus, its size is perfect for my purse or tote.
The surface is perfect for beading. Its color is bright so you can easily see your beads.
The soft outer rim is one of my favorite aspects. I stick the point of my needle into the surface and it stays right there. This feature is perfect for many situations that require setting your needle down, like getting a knot out of your thread, or taking a break.

Tamara’s online courses feature tips and tricks for learning basic bead-weaving stitches and bead looming to get you started beading now.

Kristal Wick: Hole-Side-Up

Obviously, I love the rim. None of those little bitty round beads sliding on the floor. The tall, thick rim keeps them on the board.
You can gently shake the board and the seed beads flip hole-side-up. It’s much easier to pick them up with your needle when stitching.
This board is a great portable size. I travel a lot so schlepping a bead board along is essential but many of them are too big.

Learn how to make beads with fabric and fiber in Kristal’s online courses and find inspiration in her beautiful designs with her Mixed Media DVD available from Interweave. To read more about Kristal, check out “Fearlessly Creative: An Interview with Kristal Wick”.

Melissa Grakowsky Shippee: Perfect for Luxury Beads

They’re pretty! Why not bead on a luxurious surface when you’re working with Swarovski crystal and Czech glass beads?
The padded perimeter cushions my hands when working. I appreciate the ergonomics.
You can pick the right size and shape board for your project.

In 2017, Melissa was one of Beadwork’s Designers of the Year. Find her designs in the Beadwork 2017 Collection. To learn more about Melissa read: “Beadwork Designer of the Year Melissa Grakowsky Shippee” or visit her website.

Do you have a favorite beading work surface? Tell us in the comments!