Are you in love with beaded fringe but not sure how to create it yourself?
Do you have a costume that needs an upgrade?
In this post, Chani, our alteration expert, will show you how to create beaded fringe to give your costume more movement and shimmer. Enjoy đ
Greetings, Dancers! I hope this finds you well and enjoying dancing, sewing, and living fully.
This is going to be a relatively short post about beading fringe. To be honest, I avoid hand-beading fringe whenever possible. It is painstakingly slow and tedious. However, every once in a while, it must be done: I cannot match existing fringe, or I cannot find quite what I want in a commercial fringe, or I only want to add a few fringe accents. Then I bite the bullet and pull out my beading needle.
What Thread to Use for Seed Bead Fringe
I suspect that, as with most things, there are many ways to make fringe. There are also lots of different thread types; I have heard of some people using dental floss to make fringe, feeling it is the strongest option. Generally speaking, I use regular old sewing thread. If the size of the bead permits, however, I double it.
You can choose to match the bead color, or, if different, the costume color. For example, on my âSpanishâ costume, the beads are black but the costume is red. Where I had to end the threads on the outside of the costume, I would choose red thread so it would blend in on the costume. Where I could pull my thread through to the back to end it, I would choose black to match the beads.
Wait — let me back up, and start from the beginning.
I bead my fringe always from the bottom of the fringe up. I like to do it this way because I use a bead at the bottom of the fringe to secure all the other beads above it. That way, there is never a knot at the bottom that can come undone, nor do I rely on glue.
You may want your fringe to have a special bead at the bottom, as I did on my âSpanishâ costume, where the short fringes end in a faceted drop. Not only does the weight of the drop help the fringe move, but it creates a unique look to the fringe.
For the bra, I created a row of short fringe, sewn directly to the costume along an existing line of beads. On the belt, I only wanted a few accents, so I added the same length short fringes at specific points on the belt.
What Needles to Use for Making Bead Fringe
I use a twisted wire beading needle to string the beads. Then transfer to a regular needle to attach the fringe to the costume, or to a strip of fabric or ribbon if I am making a strip of beaded fringe.
These beading needles have large eyes making it easy to get your thread through, but the wire is soft so the eye collapses to go through even the smallest bead. They can be purchased through most craft stores that sell beads; I got a four-pack at my local Michaelâs.
Bead Options
It is important to choose beads that wonât âcutâ your thread.
I recommend rounded traditional seed beads whenever possible. They do not have sharp ends and therefore wonât cut your thread. (They are also more comfortable to sit on than sharp-edged beads!)
While bugle beads and faceted beads are beautiful and tend to have more sparkle, they are cut flat on the ends, which creates a sharp edge. This sharp edge, over time and with movement, can cut the thread of your fringe.
If you want to use them, I suggest you alternate one bugle bead with one seed bead to reduce the chance of this happening. At the least, I recommend you start and end each length of fringe with a seed bead. Making fringe is a lot of work; you donât want your beads to undo it!
What to Attach Your Bead Fringe To
Next, if you are making a string of fringe, choose what you will attach the fringe to.
It can be bias tape that matches your costume, or if you have fabric you can cut a length of the selvage and stitch to that, guaranteeing a perfect match. (The selvage is the tightly woven edge of fabric that runs the length of your yardage; use pinking shears to cut a length of this selvage to use as a ribbon to sew your fringe to.) If you are sewing your fringe directly to the costume, you do not need any fabric.
Bias tape is good for a length of fringe; you can also see a short piece of fabric cut from the selvage edge of the actual costume fabric, guaranteeing it will blend in.
How to Make Seed Bead Fringe
To start, cut a piece of thread that is twice the length you want your fringe to be, plus about 6-8 extra inches (15-20 cm) for sewing.
Thread one end of your sewing thread through the eye of your beading needle, then thread on one bead.
Next, thread the other end of your sewing thread through the eye of the beading needle. This creates a loop of thread, with your starter bead at the middle. Make sure the thread ends are on the same side of the needle eye!
If you are using a specialty bead, you may or may not need a starter bead: it all depends on the placement of the holes of the bead.
Many drop beads have two holes at the top, straight across the bead. I could not find one of these in my bead collection, so I made a sketch for you to show you what I mean.
Yet many specialty beads still have a hole at the top and the bottom, as my black drop beads did. If you have holes across the top, simply string on your specialty bead, then thread the second end through the needle as directed above.
If your specialty bead has its holes at the top and bottom, you will string on a seed bead as above, thread the second end of your thread onto your needle, and then string on your specialty bead.
You can also use a paillette at the end of your fringe; attach it as you would a specialty bead with two holes at the top.
From there, you simply start beading the fringe.
Once you have your desired length, carefully unthread the beading needle and thread it on your sewing needle.
If you are sewing directly onto your costume, do so, without pulling the fringe thread too tight (then it cannot dangle down, and will be stiff against the costume).
On the back, take several good stitches one over the other, pulling each subsequent stitch a little tighter to create a good âendâ that wonât pull out. I generally sew 4-5 stitches, each one over the prior.
As long as your stitches are on the inside of your costume, leave a little tail of thread instead of cutting off right at your stitches. If you are sewing to the outside of your costume and cannot hide the cut ends of your thread, I recommend taking a long stitch under your fabric, coming out further away, and carefully cutting the threads there. That way your âtailâ of thread is submerged under your fabric and wonât wiggle out.
If sewing directly to the costume on the front, take several stitches above your top bead, then âsubmergeâ your needle, coming out away from your fringe. And carefully cut the thread; you can pull a little on the thread before you carefully cut, which will pull the cut ends back under the fabric. Take care not to cut your fabric!!!
This is how I would attach the fringe to my fabric strip when making a length of fringe. Take a stitch or two at the bottom edge. Then take a couple more stitches higher up on your fabric before cutting your thread. Since this wonât show, you can leave a little âtailâ of thread.
Voila! You have bead fringe!
Tip: instead of holding each bead to thread it onto the beading needle, spread some beads out on your work surface, and âtipâ the beads onto the needle. It takes some practice, and some beads tip more easily than others. But it is much faster than trying to hold each bead â particularly if they are small â in your fingers.
Tip: Unless you are seriously OCD, donât count the number of beads per fringe! You will make yourself crazy. Instead, just eyeball them, particularly if you are making long fringes. I am currently adding multi-color fringe to my daughterâs wedding dress; I have a fringe strand attached to a scrap of fabric, and I lay my new strand alongside it to eyeball it for length. Remember the galloping horse rule?
What fringe tips and tricks do you have? If you would like to share, please email them to me at chani@sparklybelly.com! I will compile them, and post them in a future fringe follow-up.
Have fun and happy fringing!
Hope you enjoyed this DIY Seed Bead Fringe tutorial by Chani! If you did, please share this post with your dance sisters đ
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Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
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