BEADING DESIGN BOARDS AND HOW TO USE THEM
Have you ever wished there was a way to lay out designs and fiddle around with them before committing to stringing?
Have you ever strung a design only to realize you forgot a bead in your pattern?
Have you ever wondered how multi-strand jewelry has such evenly spaced strands?
The answer to all of these questions, and more, is the Beading Design Board.
Whether you are working on a single bracelet or layering strands for a more complex piece, having the right design board makes a world of difference.
In this post we highlight the convenience of bead boards for effortless jewelry design as well as different types and how to use them and what to look for when buying your own.
If you’ve ever struggled to keep your beads in order, or just want a better way to plan out your designs, this is for you!
Let’s dive in and find the perfect tool to to elevate your jewelry-making journey.
WHAT IS A BEADING DESIGN BOARD?
A beading design board is an indispensable tool for jewelry makers, serving as a platform to meticulously plan, arrange, and measure beads prior to stringing them into intricate necklaces, bracelets, or other projects.
Characteristically, these boards feature a soft, flocked surface that prevents beads from rolling away, thereby ensuring a seamless design process.
Additionally, they often incorporate U-shaped grooves and strategically positioned storage compartments to facilitate organization and efficiency.
The thoughtful design of these boards, which includes channels in both U-shapes and straight lines, enables jewelry makers to effortlessly create and visualize strung designs.
Typically, the U-shaped channel is reserved for designing necklaces, while the straight recess is utilized for bracelets; however, the versatility of the design board allows for flexibility, enabling designers to craft various pieces, including earrings, directly adjacent to one another in the U-shaped channels.
Furthermore, some design boards feature circular recesses specifically tailored for bracelet design, allowing jewelry makers to preview their creations in a lifelike manner, thereby ensuring a precise and polished final product.
By streamlining the design process and providing a clear visual representation of the finished piece, beading design boards prove to be an invaluable asset for jewelry makers.
HOW TO USE A BEADING DESIGN BOARD
LAY OUT YOUR DESIGN AND MAKE ANY CHANGES
When first designing, start at the zero since often your main focal piece will be in the middle of the necklace.
Work outward on both sides from the zero up.
The multiple compartments in the bead board are for storing beads and tools you're working with so you have them right in front of you while designing.
Another handy tray often used in conjunction with bead boards are the triangle sorting trays and tweezers with a scoop the shape is ideal for scooping beads out from the corners of your beading design board.
The first thing you'll notice about beading design boards is the measurements.
USE THE MEASUREMENT GUIDE TO WORK OUT LENGTHS
Most boards have measurements in inches and/or centimeters printed along the channels.
This feature allows you to precisely plan the length of your jewelry, ensuring your bracelet or necklace fits correctly.
This is especially handy if you're adding decorative elements which need to be spaced evenly
Use the printed ruler to confirm the exact length of the piece, factoring in the clasp.
LAYOUT AND ORGANIZATION
The grey colored beading design boards are handy for designing with light colored beads and vice versa, for the light colored beading design boards, making the design stand out against the background so you're better able to see the impact of the beads with each other
This is beneficial as it ensures that you won’t confuse your important color combinations during the design process.
Arrange your beads, findings and components in the compartments and then lay them out in the channels to create your desired pattern.
Easily see how your design, including color and size combinations, will look before you start stringing.
Adjust the bead order and spacing with ease until you are completely satisfied with the design.
EASY TO DO MULTIPLE THREAD DESIGNS
If you love creating multiple strand designs, our Beading Design Boards have 3 U shaped channels which makes it so easy to plan your design and lengths accurately.
SHOP BEADING DESIGN BOARDS WITH BEADED CREATIONS HERE
AVOID MAKING MISTAKES
Especially handy for beginners, the bead board ensures you have the right amount of beads to complete a necklace or bracelet since you're able to visually lay it out before stringing.
Laying the design out on a bead board also helps reduce errors when stringing a particular pattern since you pick up each bead in order, to string it.
For those with more experience in beading, the bead board is still a useful tool to have on hand.
Especially if producing multiple versions of a jewelry piece, you're able to lay more than one out, fiddle as you see fit and finish them all in one fell swoop.
EASY TO COME BACK TO
Also, if you have an idea for a design, but not enough time to actually finish it, lay it out on the bead board or place the beads in the compartments and come back to finish when you have the time.