Learn French Beading: Beginner Course
Beads & Supplies
Before you make French Beaded Flowers, it’s important to understand the Beads, Wires, Tools, and other materials that are used to make them. Inside this PDF I walk through all of the supplies, my favorite brands, and list some of my favorite suppliers.
Read about them in the PDF window below. You can download the PDF using the download button in the upper right corner of the PDF window.
Scroll down for a video on how to string beads onto wire, and for a list of my favorite suppliers.
Related Videos:
1. How to String Seed Beads onto Wire
My Favorite Suppliers
I am based in the USA, so my favorite sources are all there. I am not very familiar with supply shops in other countries, but will share a few that I know of.
Seed Beads
- Fire Mountain Gems – firemountaingems.com – Matsuno Dynamites, Preciosa Czech, Miyuki Rounds (with bulk options)
- Shipwreck Beads – shipwreckbeads.com – Preciosa Czech (with bulk options)
- Beaded Edge Supply – beadededgesupply.com – Preciosa Czech (including 2-cut and satin beads), Japanese beads
- Pow Wow Supply – powwowsuppy.com – Preciosa Czech (including 2-cut and satin beads)
- Aura Crystals – auracrystals.com – Toho, Miyuki
- Caravan Beads – caravanbeads.com – Miyuki (with bulk options)
- Simply Beads USA – simplybeadsusa.com – Toho, Matsuno, Miyuki
- Bobby Bead – tohowholesale.com – Toho (this is their wholesale site, which as bulk options. I was able to create an account without submitting a business license)
Colored Copper Wires
- Parawire – Parawire.com – my favorite brand! Lots of colors, high quality coatings and tarnish resistant. They do sell wire made from metals other than copper, which we don’t use in French Beading.
- Artistic Wire – Beadalon.com, GreatCraftWorks.com – another fantastic, high quality brand of wire. Again make sure you are purchasing their colored copper wires, not other types of beading or wire wrapping wires.
- Zebra Wire – FireMountainGems.com – good quality wire, fewer colors, and not tarnish resistant
- Hildie & Jo – Joanns.com (or local stores) – not the best, but useable
Other Supplies
- Stem Wires – Papermart.com, Amazon.com
- Galvanized Steel coils (for stems) – Amazon.com, local hardware store
- Floral Tape – Papermart.com, SugarDelites.com
- Embroidery Floss – local craft store, everythingcrossstitch.com
UK Sources
- GJ Beads – gjbeads.co.uk
- Spellbound Beads – spellboundbead.co.uk
- Spoilt Rotten Beads – spoiltrottenbeads.co.uk
- The London Bead Company – londonbeadco.com
- Scientific Wire – wires.co.uk
Canada Sources
- Bead FX – beadfx.com
- Beazu – beazu.ca
- Butterfly Beads – butterflybeads.ca
- I-Bead – http://www.ibeadcanada.com
- That Bead Lady – thatbeadlady.com