Lilly's Bead Box - New Page

Tips

If you have a Tip that you feel could help other beaders, we will be glad to post it on this page. We respect the rights of everyones privacy and will not include your name with the Tip you submit unless you instruct us to do so. Just email your Tip to lillysbeadbox@aol.com

New Tip:Some beading operations make you feel like you need a third hand! If you have trouble getting the crimp tube to stay in your crimp cover before you can close it with your pliers, try this: Mash a small lump of blue-tack (poster putty, sold under various names including "Handi-Tack") on your work surface. Embed the crimp cover in the blue-tack with its opening facing up. Hold the wire on each side of the crimp; with the wire parallel to the work surface, insert the crimped bead securely into the crimp cover. Now you can let go with one hand to pick up your pliers and close the cover!

--Suzanne I.

Old Tip: If you don't like the look of crimp beads at the end of you design, try using crimp covers. Crimp covers are open beads that you can close over a crimp bead so it looks just like another bead! Available in gold-filled, sterling, silver plate and gold plate.

Old Tip: If you have a problem with the last bead on your bracelet or necklace wire slipping over the crimp bead, try this; Make sure the last bead has a smaller hole so the crimp bead cant slip through it. If the last bead must be one that has a larger hole fill it with a 2 or 3mm bead that will not affect the design of your piece. A smaller holed bead will not slip over the crimp bead and will allow you to make better looking finished jewelry.

Old Tip: Having trouble making your earring dangles from looking a little off? You may be using the wrong pliers! Round nose pliers are essential for making perfect earring dangles. Also, You have to be the boss of your wire!! You bend it, don't let it bend on its own. If you are still having trouble come take our earrings 101 class. it's fun!

old Tip: Double Trouble. Having trouble stringing your wire back through the beads on your bracelets? You might need a thinner stringing wire. Beading wire comes in a variety of diameters. .018 is the average and what most people use. If you need a thinner wire try .015, .013 or even .010 (skinny stuff). Yes, we carry this stuff!

Old Tip: Not sure which wire to choose for your stringing projects? Here's a hint. The large number circled on the spools of wire you see is the number of strands of steel in the wire. The more strands, the stronger and more flexible the wire is. If you want your jewelry to last use at least a 19 strand wire. The number of strands in the wire has nothing to do with the diameter or thickness of the wire!! We recommend a .018 diameter wire for most stringing projects. Just ask one of our staff to point you to the 18/19 wire!!

Old Tip: Having trouble getting your stretch bracelets to hold? Make sure you use a square knot to tie off the ends (that's right over left left over right for you girl scouts). Then put a drop of super glue or hypo cement on the knot. Let it sit for a least 30 minutes before you try it on or stretch it so the glue is good and dry. See. . it's easy!

Old Tip: Having trouble with your crimp beads holding? Try using a drop of Hypo-cement inside the crimp bead before crimp it.

We also recommend that you double the crimp bead over using your crimping pliers. The crimp pliers have two notches; the notch at the rear is used first to dimple the bead. The second notch (the one at the front of the plier) is used to double over. Turn the dimpled crimp on its side and slowly press down. This action will double the bead over on itself and has better holding power.

We recommend using 19, 21, or 49 stand beading wire with crimp beads. Lesser strand wire sometimes has the tendency to slip.