How to Make a Multi Strand Seed Bead Necklace

Seed beads: what’s not to like? They’re small, they’re pretty, and they’re versatile. You can find them on clothing, purses, jewelry, and even tapestries. They look absolutely stunning when you string enough of them together. Talk about power in numbers. There’s so much you can do with them stylistically as well. You can find seed beads on a kindergartener’s friendship bracelet or on a wedding dress that costs thousands of dollars. Seed beads have endless crafting possibilities.

Seed beads originated in Asia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean in 2400 B.C. Beads were mass-produced in Italy during the Middle Ages. It seems nothing happens in Italy without happening dramatically, and the bead making industry’s story is certainly big-screen worthy. Venice was the hub of bead making in Italy, with a monopoly on the business for almost 600 years. The glassmakers that influenced the craft were very secretive about their techniques, and any who betrayed those secrets faced a death penalty. Despite their dramatic history, seed beads are simple and lovely adornments for jewelry and clothes.