4 Best Threads for Bead Weaving

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Ask any beader about their favorite beading thread and the answer is most likely to be, “it depends.” Nymo is where most beaders begin (and some beaders stay), but there are other options out there, each with their own merits. Take a look at these projects, each using a different type of thread, and read tips for choosing beading thread for your next beaded jewelry project.

Above: Where Triangles Meet

Single-Ply Nylon Thread

A colorful thread originally used in furniture upholstery, Nymo is a beader’s standby. It’s available in a wide range of colors that you can test relatively inexpensively by purchasing it on small bobbins. Most bead weavers eventually move to larger spools or cones for bead weaving, bead embroidery, and bead looming.

Cindy Kinerson wove together Tila beads using Nymo to create the beaded band on her Tila Trio Cuff. Cindy frequently changes it up with her beading thread choices, combining them when necessary to achieve the look and feel she’s going for with any project. For example, her Saddle Blanket Earrings use Nymo and FireLine.

Preconditioned Nylon Thread

Preconditioned nylon thread was developed by the manufacturers of Aiko and other precision seed beads. TOHO One-G was created specifically for bead weaving as a single-ply, preconditioned thread. Beaders appreciate the fact that it’s strong but pliable, and it’s shred resistant so you can use it when making multiple passes through the same bead. Since it’s treated to prevent tangling, thread conditioner isn’t required.

Debora Hodoyer used TOHO One-G in her Arrow Earrings. Debora is a big fan of color and works colorful beads and thread into her beading. Read Musical Beadwork Artist Debora Hodoyer: Color, Style and Soul for tips on imagining colorful bead combinations.

Thermally Bonded Beading Thread

Many beaders use thermally bonded thread for bead weaving. This type of thread resists being pierced with a needle so it’s excellent for projects that require multiple passes. To make it easier to thread a needle, you can use chain-nose pliers to flatten the end of the thread. It’s very strong and has more rigidity than single-ply nylon thread so you can use it to create very sturdy beadwork.

There are a few different thermally bonded thread brands, such as FireLine. Shanna Steele’s Mirror Image Bracelet uses Wildfire beading thread with two-needle right-angle weave and netting techniques. The resulting beadwork is a reversible, double-layered bracelet made of Honeycomb beads and Japanese seed beads.

Beading Wire

Although beading wire isn’t truly thread, it is very threadlike. It’s made of tiny strands of stainless steel encased in a nylon coating. It’s available in a variety of colors. Most beaders use wire for stringing beads, but it also makes an interesting “thread” for other beadwork projects, from looming to weaving, and more.

Sara Oehler used Softflex beading wire to weave beads on a beading loom for the striking openwork Sonoran Desert Bracelet. Although some diameters of beading wire can be knotted, it’s more common to use crimp beads or crimp tubes to secure the ends. The advantage of beading wire over traditional thread is that it’s very strong and durable. Other brands of beading wire include Beadalon and Accu-Flex.

Tips for Choosing Beading Thread

1. Color! Sometimes the choice is as simple as finding the right color for your project.
2. The diameter of the thread is important. If you’ll be passing the thread through beads more than once, then you’ll want to choose a thread that’s thin enough to make multiple passes.
3. Thermally bonded bead thread is best for beads that could be sharp, such as bugles or crystals.

Happy Beading!
Interweave Beading Group

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