A garland of fall leaves for your wardrobe

With the last days of summer blazing overhead, now is a good time to think about special fall bead projects, good practice before delving into Halloween jewelry and gifts. We found this lovely leaf garland pattern on About which would work wonderfully with our size 11 Czech seed beads. Don't forget a spool of Size D brown Nymo thread, or a good beading needle and clasp.

Which bead is which?

If you are new to beading, you may soon realize you're going to need to know certain things about the projects you want to tackle. What is the size difference between a Swarvoski crystal and a Japanese seed bead? What size needle will you need for a specific bead? How many noodle beads for that bracelet?

Luckily for you, The Bead Cottage has on sale this beautiful Bead Chart poster, perfect for hanging on the wall of your craft room! Easy to read, informative and durable laminated 11" x 17" poster - vital bead and string information available at a glance - excellent resource for all skill levels - charts include bead sizing from mm to seed beads, string materials and sizes, needle types and sizes, formulas for determining number of beads needed and cost per bead and more.

The Bead Chart is on sale for a limited time. Be sure to get yours today!

Back to school

...beading school, that is!

Sure, you need pencils, paper, a calculator and a new lunchbox, but a new year of school can also mean a new opportunity to show off your fashion sense! When you take one of our upcoming bangles beading classes you'll learn how to make an eye-catching bangle bracelet with matching hoop earrings, just in time for the first bell. We encourage talking in class (passing notes is another matter, unless it's about beading), and hope you'll come visit us at the store. If you can't make it, keep checking out our site for the latest specials. Note that shipping is FREE with orders of over $75!

Come in out of the heat...

...and cool off at The Bead Cottage with one of our fun beading classes. Next week beaders can learn how to create a colorful, Southwestern style Peyote stitch bracelet.

This is a Native American stitch that is lots of fun to do and gives you a real sense of pride when it's done. This stitch is commonly found in geometric and animal/nature patterns. It can be used to make bracelets, necklaces, belts, headbands and more! Come learn the stitch and take the beading world by storm!

Our next peyote stitch class will be held August 9 by instructor Pam Hunt, Class Price $15, Time 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Click here to get directions with Google Maps.