Follow the directions below to learn how to paint with beads using a Native American bead loom.
How to Use a Native American Style Bead Loom
A Native American style bead loom is a long narrow contraption on which you string beading threads in parallel lines. Using these as your beading base, you use tiny seed beads to stitch rows of color and pattern onto the thread. This results in a long, relatively narrow strip of carefully arranged beads. These strips are usually used for jewelry, hat bands, or belts.
However, in this article, you will learn how to use these long strips of beading to create beautiful, sparkling pictures for your wall or windows.
Designing Your Bead Loom Picture
The first step in creating your paint with beads picture is figuring out what your picture is going to be. Using embroidery or cross-stitch pictures is a great idea for this project since they are already laid out in a grid. Any other relatively simple picture will do, provided you can divide it up into small squares.
Each small square in your picture is representative of one bead on the Native American style bead loom. The first step in actually creating the bead picture is dividing the drawing up into long strips. Then, work each long strip of the picture onto the bead loom.
Attaching and Mounting the Bead Loom Picture
After all of the strips of beading are completed, lay them out side by side and make sure that your picture looks as you want it to. Then, using invisible beading or fishing line, stitch the outermost pieces of bead loom thread together. The strips will form a large block that creates your entire bead loom picture.
There are several ways to mount your Native American style bead loom picture. You can stitch it onto fabric or even glue it onto paper or wood. However, these sparkling bead pictures look best when the light can shine through them. Using a standard picture frame, attach the bead loom picture to the glass front, and put another layer of glass behind. Be sure to fasten the pieces of glass tightly into the frame so the bead loom picture will not sag or bunch.
After learning how easy it is to use a Native American style bead loom, you will be able to paint with beads. These tiny seed beads, organized into patterns and pictures, will create artistic projects to hand on your wall or in a window.
