Tools
Beading Tools I Personally Use and Recommend
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Here are a few tools I’ve personally tested and loved. You may need to try a couple versions before you find your perfect setup — that’s totally normal. These are the ones that consistently work for me.
General Beading Tools
Bead boards and flocking mats help keep your beads on your workspace (and not rolling everywhere) while giving you a place to lay out your bracelets. Here are a few versions I use often:
Wooden Bead Board
These are great for laying out your designs and seeing how they will look in a circle. For elastic or thread bracelets, these work perfectly. For memory wire, the full bracelet is larger than one “loop” on the board, so you may find that one style works better for you than another.
Flocking Mat
These mats are a lifesaver. I still have beads everywhere, but I can turn any flat surface into a workspace — and it’s quieter and easier to sort beads on a mat than on a table.
(Seriously… beads in my slippers?!)
Bead Scoop
This scoop is amazing. Once I got comfortable with it, I realized it was MUCH easier to move beads from one compartment to another, and the tweezers make grabbing a single bead so much easier than trying with your fingers. I use the scoop as a little “shovel” for transfers.
Memory Wire Tools & Materials
If you’d like to dive into memory wire, here are the basic tools you’ll need: finishing pliers, memory wire cutters, and the memory wire itself.
Memory wire is sharp and should only be used by adults or under supervision.
Memory Wire Finishing Pliers
This tool lets you make the little “twist” at the beginning and end of your wire loops. I’ve tried multiple kinds and always come back to this very basic tool — it’s the most reliable.
Memory Wire Cutter
Memory wire cutters are essential — regular wire cutters WILL get damaged.
Rose Gold Memory Wire
Silver Memory Wire
Jump Rings & Accessories
If you’re using charms without jump rings, you may find that the charm faces sideways next to the bead. Jump rings change the charm’s orientation so it hangs correctly (facing “up” instead of toward the next bead).