Jewelry making is an extremely popular form of craft both for a hobby and for income earning. As a result, more and more individuals are learning this jewelry craft in order to create their own stylish pieces. The type of string used for each particular piece depends on the types of beads that are chosen for the project.

Have you ever had a string of beads break and end up all over the floor?  What is the reason for this?  It happens because the beads have cut through the string that is used in the piece..

Try not to think of an all-purpose string when selecting the type of string to be used for your beading project.  There are several different materials being used in creating string for jewelry making. Here are a few examples as well as the most appropriate time for when they should be used.

Silk Thread

String created out of silk thread has an extremely soft feel to it. Silk thread comes in an array of colors as well as in many different sizes.  This is typically packaged on spools.  Silk thread is normally the basic stringing material used in beading.  It has the capability of forming uniform shaped knots between beads and various types of gems. The most appropriate time to use silk string is with the beading of pearls or other lightweight beads.

The down side to using silk string is that it is relatively fragile. Also, since it has the ability to be flexible and stretch, some abrasive beads have been known to cut silk string.  Other cons to using silk string when beading is it tends to rot easily when it becomes wet and if silk string is used with pearl.  The pearls need to be restrung every two to three years.

Nylon Thread

This type of string also comes in a rainbow of colors and sizes, which can be purchased in either spools or on bobbins. It is similar to silk, but not as fragile, the knots created with nylon are uniform and beautiful. Nylon is perfect when beading pearls.

Unlike silk, nylon stretches less, and if it gets wet it does not tend to rot. Heavy beads or beads with sharp edges should never be used when using nylon string. When using nylon while beading it is recommended that the string be coated with bee’s wax, which aids in preventing fraying.

Bonded Nylon Thread

Much stronger than nylon string, bonded nylon string are strands of nylon bonded together. These bonded strands give the string more strength as well as added protection against abrasive beads. Bonded nylon lacks the velvet touch of silk, but it still is capable of providing uniform knots.

Bonded nylon string is available in an array of colors, but can only be purchased in smaller sized spools. Typically, this type of string is used with gems that are more abrasive due to its abrasion resistance. Oftentimes, instead of using a needle with this type of thread, bead-workers will place a drop or two of Super Glue on the end of the string in order to create a self-serving needle.

Fishing Line

This type of string is created out of hard plastic and is the same that is used by fishermen. However, when using fishing line it must be noted that sunlight has the ability to weaken it, which can cause it to fall apart. It has to be direct sunlight and a lot of it to cause the plastic to become hard and break. This is especially true since it does not knot very well either and the knot is a weak point in the finished product. Fishing line can be purchased in any sporting goods department on spools. Typically, it is used for doing preliminary stringing such as designing or for stringing raw beads together to be used later for beading.

A good tip is: before starting jewelry making project always make sure you are combining the right string for the beads you will be using. Another important tip is to know your knots. You do not want your beaded pieces to fall apart because the knots come undone.

Happy beading!