Kid Crafts: Beading For Beginners Part II: The Back And Forth Technique

Hopefully, you've read the first part of the Beading for Beginners and you know what type of beads and wire or nylon fishing line to use for different animals. You will learn here how to make the body of the bead animals.

The main animal beading technique is the 'Back and Forth' technique. It's hard to believe that this is the main technique, because it is so simple. Okay, everything is slower and a small bit more difficulty if you want to do it nicely. However, after you have tried and made it a few times it will be just child's play.

Use this technique to make the body of the bead animals (and sometimes the tail of the animals). After you've finished the first row, make the second row by doing the same thing again. In this way, make the rest of the animal's body.

Let's get started!

String the beads (usually one, two or three depending on what you are making) on either side of the wire. If you're beginning a new bead animal string the bead(s) on the center of the wire.
Now, loop back with the opposite wire through the beads. If you're making the first row, then thread one wire around and through the first bead(s)

Pull it very tightly. If it is not in the right place (not exactly beside the row before), then bend it until it looks even and lovely.

Now, here is an important point:

if you are making an animal that should be flat, then push the rows beside each other (and use wire). However, if your animal supposed to be round (3D), pull each row very tightly to make them overlap. If it doesn't help, then simply put the rows right opposite of each other. After that, if you look at your animal from side, then the rows should look zigzagging.

One more thing: do not forget the eyes or any patterns of the animal, use different colors for them.

If you don't understand something click here for additional help with pictures for each steps.


The next part will explain how to make your animal more lifelike with legs.

Marcel Vigh Marcel's Kid Crafts

Kid Crafts - Beading For Beginners Part III - Leg Making

An Important Tip:
when you're making a leg: hold the leg as near as you can to the body when you pull it tightly.

Simple straight leg

This is the most simple technique to make legs.

String the leg beads on one side of the wire.
Loop back with the same wire through the leg leaving out the last bead. Try to avoid kinks on the wire.
Hold the leg to the body as near as you can. Pull it very tightly. Do the same on the other side.

Leg with foot

It is also a very simple type of leg.

String the beads on either wire. For the foot use a different colour.
Loop back with the same wire through the leg leaving out the foot.
Pull it very tightly. If the wire begins to kink put it straight. Now, do exactly the same on the other side.

Leg with foot and toes

This type of leg is a bit more complicated than the others. However, after you've understood and made it, it'll be just a routine job.

String the leg beads (usually 3) and the beads of one toe on either side of the wire.
Loop back through the remaining of the toe beads leaving out the last bead. Hold the toe near to the leg and pull it tightly.
Now, you've finished the first toe. String the beads of the second toe on the same wire.
Loop back through the toe beads leaving out the first bead as before.
Hold the toe near to the leg and pull it tightly.
Do exactly the same with all toes. When you've made all of the toes, loop back through the whole leg.
Pull it tightly. Do exactly the same on the other side.

There are many ways to make a leg for the animals:

Simple straight leg
Leg with foot
Leg with foot and toes

Unfortunately, I can't put pictures here, so if you want to see illustrated step by step guideline please click here!

Marcel Vigh
Marcel's Kid Crafts

Kid crafts: Beading for Beginners part I

Three or four years ago, I was a fanatic bead. I loved beading and I made bead animals all the time. After I had more than a hundred bead animals and creatures, I gave it. I got bored with. A few weeks ago, it came to my mind and I decided to start again beading. After I have some animals, I noticed that I still love beading.

It's just fantastic!

So, let's begin!
First, you'll need to:
beads
thread (or nylon fishing line)
pattern

By the way, what do you use, wire or nylon fishing line? I used formerly, fishing line, because I found it easier to use. And it is easier to use, because the end will not kink. However, it has no concrete form. The animal will not be on her legs. The animals will be wired. You can bend them as you need. And it is a great advantage! So, I would suggest the wire, but very thin thread.

Important

If you are an animal to be round, 3D or plump (as a Penguin), always use nylon fishing line, because the thread will be almost completely flat.

I have a good example to prove this:
Once, I have decided to a bead OWL, which was completed on the example picture.
After I finished (with wire), it looked like a bat and not an OWL. The completely flat. was

I was very angry and I scolded the book. Later, I read the text next to the OWL who said, that use nylon fishing line.

The next day, I made the OWL again, with the help of nylon fishing line. When I finished, it seemed exactly on the picture. The completely round. was

So, use fishing line for rounded and 3D animals.

And what about beads? I've been using seed beads (small) for the body of the animals since I started beading. There are also long beads (I don't know the correct name), use them for wings and sometimes for the legs.

Seed Beads:

These are the basic beads that we use for beading. They are usually the body of an animal. Nowadays, you can buy them in regardless of color, the size and shape you want. I use quiet small (I don't know the exact size) and round seed beads.

Larger beads:

These are much bigger than the seed beads. I use them mostly for the eyes of an animal. However, use them when you want to highlight something.

Long beads:

The size of the long beads between the seed beads and the ' larger ' beads. I use them for wings, legs and sometimes for some other parts of the body of the animal.

So, in the next part, I'm going to write about the basic beading techniques.

For more information about click here!

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Marcel Vigh
Marcel de kid crafts