Know Your Beads: A Comprehensive Guide to Beads, Sizes, and Uses

Whether you're a seasoned jewelry maker or just starting your DIY journey, understanding the different types of beads is essential. Beads come in a variety of materials, sizes, and styles, each suited for different projects. This guide will walk you through the basics, helping you identify the right beads for your creations.

Jewellery Making Items

It can be tiring to look through dozens website to find THE PERFECT bead right? Don’t worry because we have got you covered. INDIKONB store is your one stop destination for all the beading raw material, jewellery making essentials and hobbyist craving where you have multiple designs, colors, shapes, and size to choose from and make bracelets and jewelry to perfectly match your style!

So what all should your Jewelry Making Kit include:

I. Beads

Beads are small, decorative objects with holes for threading. They come in various materials like glass, wood, and plastic and are used to create necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry.

II. Half Cut Beads

Half beads are flat on one side, making them ideal for surface embellishments and pasting. They are often used in jewelry to add decorative accents to earrings, rings, and pendants.

III. Charms and Pendants

Charms are small, decorative elements that add personality to jewelry by hanging them on your bracelets. Pendants are larger focal pieces that serve as the centerpiece of cute necklaces or bohemian bracelets.

IV. Wires and Elastic

Wires are thin, flexible metal threads used to string beads and create structure in jewelry. Elastic is a stretchable material ideal for making flexible bracelets and anklets.

V. Jewellery making Findings

Findings are small components used to connect and finish jewelry pieces. These include Eye pins, Loop pins, Jump rings, S hooks, Lobster Hooks, Plastic Rubbers etc.

VI. Tools

Tools like Wire Cutter and Wire Twister are used to provide assistance for using metallic wires and findings by ease of twisting, folding and cutting to make earrings, necklaces, rings, anklets etc. A tweezer can come in handy to pick up half cut pearls, rhinestones, moti and kundan for clear pasting work.

Lets dive into the intricacies of the sea of beads!

1. Glass Beads

1.1. Seed Beads

1.2 Crackle Beads / Crystal Beads

A. Types: Single Color, Dual Tone
B. Size: 6mm, 8mm
C. Uses:
i. Bracelet Making: Handcraft DIY bracelets to give a unique look to your everyday style and stand out from everyone else in the crowd
ii. Kids DIY Jewellery Making Kit: Beading techniques can help kids to develop patience and motor skills and at the same time learn the Indian heritage of handicraft through the process. They can make customized jewellery for themselves and cute gifts for their mother, sister and friends.
iii. Home Decoration: The shiny look of these beads make them ideal for plant pots and bowl decorations for a unique representation.

1.3 Jelly Beads

A. Types: Single Color, Dual Tone
B. Size: 6mm, 8mm
C. Uses:
i. Craft Projects: Versatile for various DIY craft projects, such as decorating ornaments or creating beaded sculptures.
ii. Casual Jewellery Making: The dual color jelly beads give a fresh look of sunshine and are perfect to style with both ethnic as well as western wear. Pairing bracelets made of these beads with a jeans and kurti will definitely make you stand out amongst your peers.
iii. Friendship Bands: DIY friendship bracelets and couple bracelets for friends with matching pairs or alternate pattern to show your love and affection.

1.4 Matte Beads

A. Types: Single Color
B. Size: 8mm
C. Uses:
i. Beach Jewellery Making: Matte finish beads are ideal for creating subtle, natural-looking beach jewelry. Their non-reflective surface mimics the soft, muted tones of beach sand and seashells, making them perfect for laid-back, coastal-inspired designs like anklets, bracelets, and necklaces.
ii. Couples Bracelets: Matte finish beads add a sophisticated and understated look to couples' bracelets. Their smooth, muted appearance is versatile, suitable for both men’s and women’s designs, and conveys a more intimate, personalized style.
iii. Daily wear elastic bands: Matte finish beads are perfect for daily wear elastic bands due to their soft, non-shiny look. They are comfortable against the skin and offer a simple, elegant style that can be worn casually every day without being too flashy.

1.5 Bugle Beads

A. Types: Rainbow, Silverline
B. Size: 2.5mm ( Cutdana Beads ), 5.0mm (Sariya Beads )
C. Uses:
i. Boho Bracelet Making: Bugle beads are perfect for adding texture and length to Boho style bracelets. Their elongated shape creates a chic, layered look, making them ideal for stacking bracelets with a mix of textures and colors.
ii. Aari Work: In Aari work, bugle beads are used to create linear patterns and intricate detailing. They enhance the overall design by adding a shiny, elongated element that complements the fine embroidery, often used in traditional Indian garments.
iii. Embroidery and Tailoring: Bugle beads are frequently used in embroidery and tailoring to create borders, outlines, and embellishments. Their slim, tubular shape makes them perfect for outlining motifs, adding depth and dimension to the fabric, and accentuating detailed embroidery work.

1.6 Spacer Beads

A. Types: Oval, Cube
B. Size: 8x10mm ( Oval Beads ), 6x6mm ( Cube Beads )
C. Uses:
i. Keychain Making: Oval and cube-shaped spacer beads are excellent for adding structure and style to keychains. They help separate and highlight larger beads or charms, creating a balanced and well-organized design. Their unique shapes add visual interest and a tactile element to keychain designs.
ii. Phone Charm Making: In phone charm making, oval and cube-shaped spacer beads provide a sleek and modern touch. They work well as connectors between different charms or beads, enhancing the overall design without overwhelming it. Their geometric shapes contribute to a stylish and trendy look.
iii. Earring Making: Oval and cube-shaped spacer beads are perfect for adding definition and symmetry to earrings. They can be used to separate focal beads, add length, or create a layered effect. Their distinct shapes make earrings more dynamic and visually appealing, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to the design.

2. Wood Beads

A. Types: Disc Beads, Flat Beads, Round Beads, Medium Beads, Long Beads
B. Sizes: Varies
C. Uses:
i. Traditional Jewellery Making: Wooden beads are often used in traditional jewelry for their earthy, natural look. They are commonly found in ethnic necklaces, prayer beads (like malas), and tribal jewelry, where their warm tones and organic feel complement the cultural and spiritual significance of the pieces.
ii. Handicraft Work: Wooden beads are widely used in handicraft projects such as home decor items, wall hangings, and handmade accessories. Their versatility and ease of use make them ideal for creating rustic, natural-themed crafts, adding an organic touch to a variety of handmade items.
iii. DIY Projects: Beyond jewelry and handicrafts, wooden beads are popular in creating DIY projects like curtain tie-backs, napkin rings, and even in macramé. Their lightweight nature and variety of shapes and sizes make them suitable for numerous creative applications, including kids' crafts and eco-friendly designs.

3. Polymer Beads

4. Plastic Beads

4.1 Round Beads

A. Types: Lucid, Crackle, Rainbow, Marble, Icefrost, Icemoon, Moti, Gold, Silver
B. Size: 6mm, 8mm, 10mm
C. Uses:
i. Jewelry Making: These round plastic beads are perfect for creating colorful and eye-catching necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Their variety in finishes—such as lucid, crackle, and marble—adds depth and texture to designs. Moti (pearl-like) beads are often used in more elegant, traditional jewelry.
ii. Decorative Crafts: These beads can be used in home decor projects like beaded curtains, ornamental tassels, or even festive decorations, adding a pop of color and shine.
iii. Fashion Accessories: Ideal for embellishing clothing, bags, or hair accessories, these beads add a trendy and playful element to fashion items.

4.2 Shape Beads

A. Types: Heart, Star, Teardrop, Rondelle, Tyre, Bicone, Tablet, Square, Kids Charms
B. Size: Variety of Sizes
C. Uses:
i. Children’s Jewelry: Perfect for making fun and whimsical jewelry pieces for kids, such as charm bracelets, necklaces, and keychains. The playful shapes like hearts, stars, and kids' charms appeal to younger audiences.
ii. Event Decorations: These shaped beads are great for party decorations, adding a playful and unique touch to themed events, such as birthday parties or festive occasions.
iii. DIY Craft Projects: Fancy-shaped beads can be used to create unique and personalized crafts, such as bookmarks, gift tags, or embellishments for scrapbooking.

4.3 Hero Beads and Spacers

A. Types: Evileye flat, evil eye round, Alphabets, Emoji Beads, Cawri Shells, Spacers
B. Size: Varies
C. Uses:
i. Personalized Jewelry: Alphabet beads and emoji beads are popular for creating personalized jewelry, such as name bracelets, necklaces, and keychains. Evileye beads are often used for making protective amulets or fashion-forward accessories.
ii. Cultural and Themed Jewelry: Cawri shells and evileye beads can be incorporated into cultural or themed jewelry designs, giving them a distinct and meaningful touch.
iii. Layering and Design Accents: Spacers, including evileye and alphabet beads, are used to separate and highlight other beads in a design, adding structure and emphasis to the overall piece.

Whether you're crafting a delicate piece of jewelry, adding a unique touch to a bracelet, or embarking on a creative DIY project of jewellery making, the right beads can make all the difference. At INDIKONB, we understand the passion that drives every hobbyist and crafter. That's why we offer a wide range of high-quality beads, tools, and supplies to meet all your beading needs. From classic round beads to fancy shapes across different materials and size, our store is your one-stop destination for all things beading. Let your creativity flow with INDIKONB, where every bead tells a story.