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The Complete Idiot’s Guide: Beading Basics Review

I’m attracted to beads. I love them on bracelets and necklaces and am fascinated by the patience of the person who places them strategically on purses, tee shirts, jeans, and more. I have a confession, I want to learn how to bead!

Thanks to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beading Basics, I can learn this beautiful art at my own speed. Sixteen chapters are grouped into four book sections that guide me in my quest to bead.  The first part talks about The Venerable, Adaptable Bead. Here the reader is introduced to beads, the tools and vocabulary of beading, and how to interpret the design.

The second section digs a little deeper into what you need to string a bad, the basics of bead stringing, off-loom bead weaving, getting started on a loom, and more about looms.

The third section talks about wire—the types of wire, basic wire-work techniques, and more.

Finally, part four takes on beads on fabric, around the house and more. Covering beads in stitches, elegant embellishments, decorating with beadwork, a safe and organized work area, and even how to make your own beads!

Like all Complete Idiot’s Guides, Beading Basics is precise. There are illustrations and step-by-step instructions.  I enjoyed reading about the techniques and am looking forward to sitting down and implementing them. I’ve made paper beads with my girls, which has been a great experience.

I am looking forward to now learning how to make wooden and clay beads with them.

I wish there were colored photographs. There are photographs throughout the book; however, I don’t think black and white pictures do justice to vibrant beads or placed so impeccably that they transform into a work of art.

If you’ve been admiring beadwork from afar or have an interest in learning this art form, I encourage you to check out Georgene Lockwood’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beading Basics. It’s a great start to creating beaded pieces for yourself and others.

About the Author

Georgene Lockwood (Prescott, Ariz.) began writing about crafts over 25 years ago and began beading 16 years ago.  She has written for Bead & Button magazine and has authored ten books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Organizing Your Life. She is a member of the Mountain Artists Guild and shows her work regularly in their gallery.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Beading Basics

ISBN: 9781615641369, October 2011, $16.95

Author: Georgene Lockwood (Prescott, Ariz.)

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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