We come from different backgrounds. We grew up in various parts of the world. We love different music. We have different political views. But there is one thing that unites us: love for beading.
We love beading, and I doubt, we need reasons to explain our affection. After all, love is beyond reasons. We just love. Period. But how to let other people know? How to help them understand why we fell in love with it? Sharing the fun and healthy benefits of beading might still be the ultimate way to spread the love.
I talked to many different beaders over the years and asked them why did they love beading. The answers were different and similar in one way or another.
20 Reasons To Fall In Love With Beading
Here is what Svetlana.Gallery readers had to say when I asked them to share their thoughts and feelings about beading. Do you share the same reasons?
1. Stress Relief
It is probably the most popular reason and most often mentioned one.
Beading lets us turn off the noise of everyday problems and dilemmas in our heads. When we bead, we barely notice anything but our beads. It makes us happy! Even a needle stick feels different when we enjoy working on an exciting project.
“I bead to relieve stress and just because it makes me happy.” – Cyndi Nason
2. Serenity And Relaxation
Beading is peaceful. Whatever project you are working on, you only need beads and you to accomplish it. It is your choice to add music or involve other people. No arguments, no deadlines, no obligations.
3. Getaway
Ever felt like you need a vacation? Like – right now? Everyone perceives getaway differently. Some imagine palm trees and turquoise sea; some just need to step into a bead or craft room. Beading is a polite way to excuse yourself from unpleasant encounters and not hurt your loved ones.
4. A Chance To Use Those Beads. Finally!
We buy beads, and then we keep them! Some of them are so beautiful that we just enjoy looking at them. However, from time to time, we still need to use them – just to make room for more beads.
“I love beading because of the pleasure & stress-relief that comes with working with projects & finding new ways to use beads”. – Tweet Angel
5. Get Creative
Some beads from one shop, some – from another. We tend to accumulate all kinds of beads: handmade, colorful, shiny and even crazy looking ones. They inspire us. They spark our imagination. Getting creative with is a fascinating part of beading for me.
“I love the creative process. I love seeing an idea become a reality & the resulting piece. And sometimes I surprise myself with what I create”.- Mary Kearney
6. Play With Colors
Coloring books are fun, but playing with colorful beads is even more interesting. Beading patterns allow many possible color variations. We can play with those colors all day long: complete a project, take it apart and start all over again, if we like.
7. Explore Spatial Geometry
Some bead weaving techniques allow you build all kinds of 3D objects. Constructing them by weaving one bead at a time makes you exercise your geometry skills, spatial sense, and visual perception. CRAW stitch, for example, is one of my favorites. Learning only one stitch – CRAW – immediately opens the door to the whole new world of diverse design techniques and ideas.
8. Adventure
It is so easy to pack your beads and go anywhere you like with your project. We bead at cafes, porches, beaches, parks and many many other places. When I go on vacation, I prefer to take a beading kit, but several colorful tubes of seed beads are also good for a little beading adventure. I never know what I might come up with.
9. Learning a New Skill
Learning a new skill is a great way to exercise your brain and keep it healthy. Beading is one of those skills that can help us stay smarter longer. What’s interesting, those who knit, crochet, weave wire, sew, paint or draw will try beading at some point in their life. Many will bead forever after that.
“I’ve been beadweaving since the 70s, wow, 46 years. And you know what? I’m still learning something new every day”. – Laura Herring
10. Accomplishment
We imagine and plan, we weave and build. We invent new things. It takes enthusiastic beader to turn the strings of beads into a beautiful jewelry. Nothing can replace that unforgettable feeling of accomplishment that follows us for many days. Every time I finish the jewelry piece, I feel like Tom Hanks’s character in “Castaway” when he made fire.
“For me it’s the serenity of sitting down, creating something of color(s) and being totally absorbed in my beading! When a project is completed, I feel a sense of accomplishment”. – Becca Scott
11. Snack Away
Sitting down with a beautiful beading project and spending several peaceful hours working on it might suggest having tasty snacks or even a glass of wine to smooth the operation. For some of us, it might also mean the opposite – being away from snacks and get your power of will stronger. After all, it is your choice.
“When I am beading, the outside world goes away, and I manage to get away from the stress for a while plus it keeps my hands busy, so I stay away from snacks (big bonus)”. – Darlene Wise
12. Meeting Friends
One of the best parts of beading is that it helps us to connect and stay in touch with others. You can meet your local fellow beaders or talk to someone from another continent online. For many of us weekly beading meeting is the main event of the week and something we look forward to.
13. Exchanging Ideas
No two beaders are alike. We may pick up the same project, but each one of us will add some innovations to the process or the design. Seeing each other work inspires us to create more beautiful beaded pieces and enjoy the process.
I like to incorporate other artists work, such as handmade beads or other components, into my projects. These components can serve as inspiration for a whole piece sometimes.
14. Making Gifts for Friends and Family
The minute we learn how to bead, we start making gifts for everybody we know. Giving away beautiful jewelry for holidays and charitable events help us create a warm and festive environment for our friends and family. It is one of the best ways to inspire celebration. After homemade pies and cookies, of course!
“Mostly I bead to give as gifts. When I make something for my sister, I think I her with every stitch. Beading brings me closer to that person even when they are miles away. So my connection with beads is a connection to my friends and family“. – Kim Baird
15. Holiday Ideas And Decorations
We get busy way before the holiday season starts. That’s because we like to make our own Christmas ornaments, festive jewelry, holiday cards. We decorate candle holders, photo albums, wine bottles, journal covers, and jewelry boxes. You name it; we can bead around it!
16. More Bling In My Life
Beading can alleviate Bling Addiction symptoms. Instead of going on a shopping spree, one might choose to weave a bunch of new flashy earrings, pendants, and bracelets in a weekend. A bling for every occasion! Attagirl!
17. Connecting With Kids
The best way to help a little girl dress up is to teach her beading. Once she learns a couple of basic stitches, moms and grandmas can spend fun hours together shopping for beads, weaving her new adornments, or even designing her personal jewelry line.
18. A Good Excuse For Bead Shopping
No matter how many different kinds of beads we have, we never have the right color, the right shape, or the right surface finish. To be honest, there is no such thing as enough beads. Ever.
19. Improve Your BMI index
Yep, it does that! Do you know what BMI really stands for? Bead Mass Index! I started with a few boxes of beads and it seemed like a lot at first. Once I really got into beading, the collection grew faster and faster. That’s when I realized the bigger BMI number is the better.
20. Getting in Touch With Talented People
If you agreed with more than ten items on this list, chances are you are an inspired beader who visits beading events, takes beading classes, designs and explore the artistic aspect of this craft. Meeting talented people while learning, viewing, appreciating and regularly practicing beading arts is an exciting part of our lives, as beaders. It enriches our lives and inspires us for more beading adventures.
Thanks for sharing my comments about why I ❤️ to bead.
Thank you, Kim, for participating!