How to Make a Beading Loom?
Making a craft from scratch will give a high sentimental value and give more fun than buying it. The beading loom is one of the favorite tools that most people use in making handicrafts such as bracelets. It is super easy for everyone to try even for a beginner!
Here in this article, we will guide you on how to make beading loom in a do-it-yourself (DIY) version with simple and easy steps.
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How to Make a Beading Loom – Step by Step Guide & Tips
There are a lot of beading loom versions out there that are made up of various materials such as wood, wire, cardboard/box, plastic, and others. Each of the beading loom will have its unique styles such as adjustable frames for more flexible and larger pieces of artwork.
Materials
To start building your adjustable beading loom, firstly, you need to prepare all of these listed materials which are:
- Main material – (two boards that made from wood)
- Dowels (two sticks)
- Springs (for two sides)
- Screws
- Ruler/Measurement tape
- Tools for making holes on the board
- Screwdriver
Easy tutorial and step by step in making adjustable beading loom
Now, we go to the simple tutorial on how to build an adjustable beading loom:
- Measure the length and the width of the beading loom you want to build.
If you want to make larger pieces of art, you need larger measurements of boards and longer dowels to build a large beading loom. And vice versa. It is advisable to go for ideal measurement to make it more flexible in usage.
After finish, the measuring process, cut it off.
- Next, you need to make two holes for each board. You may use any tools to make the holes according to the diameter of the dowels.
Remember, one of the boards should have holes that the dowels cannot pass through. This board will attach the dowels. In the meanwhile, the other board needs to have holes that the dowels can pass through. This is to make it an adjustable beading loom. The board will act as an adjustable frame of the beading loom.
- After making the holes on the boards, now you need to use a screwdriver to attach the screws on a few sides of the boards; top, behind, and near the holes.
Topside: You need two screws for each board. These screws will not be driven fully to the board as they will use to hold the springs later. You need to space it far enough for spring to stretch out a little so there is nice space for the beads later on.
Behind: The number of screws needed depends but one screw for each board is enough. These screws will act as a warp thread stopper. It will hold the thread in place to prevent it from slipping out from the warp separator (spring).
Near the holes: Two screws are needed for each board. These screws are used to hold the dowels securely especially when you are doing your work. However, it is not driven fully and you can pull it out anytime to adjust the frame.
- The last step, now you can attach the dowels and pass them through the holes. After adjusting, you can drive the screw just to “bite” enough the dowel to secure it. Then, put the string on the top side of each board.
The spring will act as a warp separator. Use ideal thickness for the spring (suggested: around 18 ga) to make it suitable for both small and large beads.
Tips: If you use a thicker/larger coil of spring wire, it only can accommodate larger beads. Use a smaller/ideal size to enable it to fit varying sizes of beads by spacing out the threads accordingly.
- Your adjustable beading loom is now ready for set up.
How to set up a bead loom?
Setting up a bead loom is the crucial step before starting your work. You need to prepare all the supplies for a smooth process.
The supplies include threads for base or known as warp thread (you may use the threads that are used to sew denim with), scissors, and of course, a beading loom.
How to warp a bead loom?
This is the main step in setting up a bead loom. It is a process of attaching your warp threads to the bead loom which will act as the base to make your artwork.
In order to attach the warp threads, you need to decide how many beads you will use for one row. This is because you need to put one extra warp thread than the number of beads you want to use.
For instance, if you decide to use three beads in a row then you need four longitudinal warp threads for the beading loom.
Measure the length of the threads that represent the number of warp threads, cut it off and start the warping process.
- Firstly, make a loop and do a double simple knot at the screw behind the boards of the beading loom. This is to hold the thread from slipping out. You need to layer the thread to make it separatable in the next step.
- Next, separate the thread and place it accordingly to the warp separator (spring) to make space for the beads.
- Pull the thread to other sides and do a similar step as the first side which is, place it accordingly to the warp separator (spring). At this step, your beading loom will have a look like a guitar string.
- Lastly, do the same double simple knot (for more security) like the other sides. Now, you are done!
Tips: Make sure the warp thread is tight to ease the process of weaving.
Conclusion
Making your beading loom will be a great achievement and will give you satisfaction as you can design it according to your need. The steps that are given already in simplified version, so to a beginner, no worry. This is your time to begin!
