If you have ever looked at any type of jewelry you will notice that beads are a popular item for making jewelry. But if you have ever been to a craft fair or to craft shows you probably already know that beads have other uses besides making jewelry. Beads can be used for a variety of different things; it all depends on the person who is using the beads and their imagination. The reason that beads can be used for such a wide variety of activities is because of how versatile beads are. Beads come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not to mention the fact that beads come in a variety of different types, such as glass, crystal, plastic, etc. Not only do beads come in all of those different varieties but they also come in every color you can imagine, as well as in patterns. While working with beads can be time consuming and tiring, the craft itself is made rather easy because of all of the variations when it comes to beads.
One of the most popular uses for beads besides jewelry is decoration. You can string, sew, glue, or tape beads on to almost anything you can think of. One of the most popular beads for decorating purposes is glass beads. These beads are used for embellishments because of how pretty they are and how they look when they sun hits them. But trade beads are also used to embellish certain things, such as crocheted plant hangers or even sweaters.
Another use for beads is for crafting. You can make so many different types of craft projects with beads that the possibilities seem endless. You can make wall hangings or embellish your crafts, such as photo album covers or picture frames with a variety of beads. Many people who make crafts for weddings or babies use a lot of beads to embellish their work.
Another popular use for beads is to simply string beads. There are numerous things that you can use stringed beads for. You can use large stringed beads to create a type of curtain. You can string small beads to create chains for pens or glasses so that you don’t lose them. Or you can string crystal beads so that you can hang them in the windows as a type of decoration that is used to catch the sun and play off the reflection.
Here are some ideas for the uses of beads other than using them for jewelry.
flys for fishing
to decorate greeting cards
dollhouse miniatures – such as vases, lamps, lightbulbs, hatboxes
to adorn dolls
to hang on draperies
to sew on quilts
to decorate purses
to put fringe on purses
to put on ends of curtain rods
to hang on fan chains
to decorate frames
fringe on scarves
game pieces
a customized rosary
meditation beads
wine identifiers
on spines of handmade books
tassels
These are only some of the different ideas that beads can be used for. In fact beads can be used on just about anything. In fact at one point in time beads were used as currency to buy slaves from Africa, which is how slave beads came about. You can also use beads in certain art projects. For example instead of painting a picture you can take different beads and glue them in a certain order to create a picture. You can even use beads to make Christmas tree ornaments or decorations.