Seed Beads
"Seed Bead" is a generic term for any small bead. There are various types and shapes of seed beads, such as Round, Cylinder (also known as Delica), Hexagon, Bugle, Triangle, and Drop, just to name a few! Seed beads range in size from under a millimeter to several millimeters, and are most commonly used for loom and off-loom bead weaving. You can simply string them into a necklace, use them as spacers between other larger beads, or use them to crochet a fabulous rope necklace! Larger size seed beads can be used in fiber crafts for embellishment, or crochet with wire. The possibilities are endless with all the different sizes, varieties, and colors of seed beads available at Let's Bead!
Check out our Seed Bead Size Primer if you need help understanding seed bead sizing.
Take a look at our Types & Finishes Guide if you need help clarifying all those color and finish choices!
Seed beading may be frustrating for first-timers. Our Tips for Successful Seed Beading can help you get started!
Varieties of Seed Beads
Japanese Miyuki Seed Beads
Japanese Miyuki Seed Beads are the most popular of all seed beads because of their consistent high quality. Miyuki glass beads are considered a "world standard" for their high quality, brilliance, and uniform shape. Miyuki seed beads have larger holes than Czech seed beads of the same size.
Miyuki Cylinder beads, or Delicas, are perfect for loom and off-loom beadwork projects. These perfectly uniform, cylindrical beads have large holes to accommodate multiple passes of thread. Because the ends are flat instead of rounded, work created with cylinder beads has a flat, smooth texture. Rows and columns of beads line upmore uniformly, so patterns can be created more accurately. There are many colors of Delicas and they are the perfect choice for fine detail beadwork.
Let’s Bead! has the largest variety of colors and types of Miyuki seed beads for your beading projects.
In stock now at Let's Bead!
- #11/0 Miyuki seed beads more than 225 colors
- #15/0 Miyuki seed beads 140 colors
- #8/0 Miyuki seed beads more than 200 colors
- #6/0 Miyuki seed beads more than 180 colors
- #5/0 "E" Miyuki seed beads 28 colors
- #2/0 Miyuki seed beads 8 colors
- Almost 100 different colors of drops
- #8/0 Delicas 40 colors
- #10/0 Delicas 75 colors
- #11/0 Delicas more than 160 colors
Bugle Beads are great for fringe, bead embroidery, stringing, or off-loom projects.
In stock now at Let's Bead!
- Size 1 bugles more than 25 colors
- Size 2 bugles 40 colors
- Size 3 bugles 4 colors
Don’t forget cubes and triangles!
In stock now at Let's Bead!
- 4x4 cubes more than 115 colors
- 1.5mm cubes 25 colors
- 2x2 cubes 8 colors
- #5/0 triangles more than 65 colors
- #8/0 triangles 15 colors
- #10/0 triangles more than 10 colors
Czech Seed Beads
Czech seed beads are preferred for some of the off-loom techniques because of their more round shape. Czech seed beads often come strung on hanks, making them easier to thread onto a needle. A hank is a bundle of strands of seed beads or bugle beads. There are usually 12 strands of 20 inches of strung beads in a modern hank of 11/0 seed beads. There are a few different varieties of Czech seed beads:
Charlotte-cut or 1-cut beads
These beads have one cut (sometimes more) on each bead which means they twinkle when they catch the light. Traditionally, charlotte-cut meant size 13, but as they are now available in sizes 8-15, the term gets used more generally.
2-cut beads
These actually have 6 sides, are usually 2mm in length and are also known as hex-cut. Czech 2mm cube beads get described as 2-cut as well.
3-cut beads
These have at least 3 cuts (or facets) and the end result is quite an irregular-looking bead, but one with lots of sparkle. These usually come in sizes 8-12.
Let's Bead! carries 188 colors of 11/0 hanks, 22 colors of 15/0, some 8/0, 11/0 and 13/0 cuts
Sizes of Seed Beads
With so many options, it's important to understand how beads are sized. Bead sizes are described with a number followed by "/0," for example, 11/0. This would be pronounced as "eleven-aught." The term "aught" refers to how many beads can fit into a standard unit of measure. The most popular bead size is 11/0, but sizes range from 24/0 (thought to be the smallest bead) to 5/0, which is the largest seed bead. Just remember, the higher the number, the smaller the bead. Review the guide to the right for the approximate number of beads per inch for some different bead sizes. The numbers are approximate because beads vary with glass, color, and finish.
Types & Finishes of Seed Beads
With such a dazzling array of colors and finishes available, sometimes it's hard to know exactly which beads you need. The charts below give you the information you need to help you make successful purchasing decisions.
Types of Seed Beads
| Glass Type | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent | TR | Transparent beads are made of clear or colored glass that transmits light |
| Opaque | OP | Opaque beads are made of colored glass that does not transmit light |
| Color-lined | CL | Color-lined beads are made of colored or clear transparent glass and have an opaque colored lining on the inside of the bead |
| Metal-lined | ML | Metal-lined beads are clear or colored transparent glass with a core of real metal or metallic-colored paint. The metallic lining gives these beads great sparkle. Some have a square hole, which increases the sparkle. |
| Metallic | Met | Metallic beads have a metal-like surface coating that is either a baked-on paint or an electroplated finish. Many are stable, but some wear off over time. To test for performance, soak them in bleach or acetone. To prolong the life of the finish, spray the beads with an acrylic fixative such as Krylon. |
Standard Finishes
| Finish | Description |
|---|---|
| AB | Refers to an iridescent finish that resembles an oil slick. An AB finish may sometimes be called Iris, Rainbow, or aurora borealis. |
| Luster | Refers to a transparent glaze that lends extra sparkle |
| Matte | Refers to an etched surface that results in a velvety, frosted appearance |
| Matte AB | refers to a matte finish with an AB coating. The result is a soft, variegated look. |
| Semi-matte | Refers to a slightly etched surface that produces a silky finish |
Special Finishes
| Finish | Description |
|---|---|
| Galvanized | Galvanized beads are coated with an unstable zinc-based finish. This coating, which may be shiny or matte, rubs off easily. You can spray galvanized beads with Krylon or another acrylic fixative to prolong their life, or choose the new permanant galvanized beads available at Let's Bead! |
| Metal-plated | Metal-plated beads are plated with a thin coating of metal such as high-karat gold, sterline silver, copper, titanium, palladium or nickel. This is a permanent finish, though the metal layer may wear off over time. |
| Pearl | Pearl finish beads have a lustrous, pearly finish on an opaque bead. |
| Ceylon | Ceylon finish beads have a lustrous, pearly finish on a semi-transparent bead. |
| Opal | Opal beads have a milky, semi-translucent finish. |
| Satin | Satin finish beads have a striated appearance. |
| Gold luster | Gold luster beads have a luster finish with glowing gold highlights |
| Painted/dyed | Painted or dyed beads have an impermanent color coating, which can fade with exposure to sunlight and may rub off when handled. Many bright purples, pinks, and fuchsias are painted or dyed. |
Tips for Successful Seed-Beading
Bead Selection
Be sure to select all the same type of seed beads for your project, whether they are Czech or Japanese. Mixing different types of seed beads can cause unintentional bumps or lumps in your beadwork. Be sure to use the type of beads recommended by the project author to avoid unnecessary headaches!
Supplies
Have all your beads and supplies available before you begin work on a project, and make sure you have everything you need before you start. No one likes to get near the end of a project and discover you don't have enough beads to finish that last half inch! Select a work area where you can spread out and have good lighting. Here are a few additional tips for success:
- Use a bead mat to prevent your beads from rolling all over your work surface (and onto the floor!)
- Make sure you have plenty of thread - if you run out and have to use another color, your beadwork could look completely different depending on your color choices
- Have extra needles in different sizes on hand in case of breakage
- Purchase a pair of small, very sharp scissors to trim thread close to your beadwork