Tools for Adding Beads to Cross Stitch

It’s always fun to add a little something extra to your cross stitch patterns, regardless of whether the project actually calls for it.

One way to make a cross stitch design a little more special is to add beads. Some patterns are written for incorporating beads, but it’s always up to you if you want to add them even if the pattern doesn’t call for them. They’re fun to use for eyes, the centers of flowers, to dot the letters with dots on them or just to add decoration beyond the cross stitching.

If you’ve never worked with beads before you might be a little intimidated, but, as with most things, if you have the right tools it will make it so much easier.

I haven’t done a lot of stitching with beads (another thing to try this year!) but Kat at Catkin and Lillie has, and they’ve got a great post all about tools that will make beading on cross stitch that much easier.

I don’t want to spoil it for you because you should click over there and check out all of their suggestions for the best needles, thread and other tools, but I do want to highlight the suggestion to use invisible thread rather than regular embroidery floss when adding beads to your cross stitch.

It’s not literally invisible but it is sort of translucent and hard to see when you stitch with it. Of course that can be a negative because it’s not that easy to see while you’re stitching or if you need to fix a mistake, but it’s a great tool to use if you’re working with different colors of beads in the same project.

Head to Catkin and Lillie to find all their tips and tools to make beading cross stitch easier.

Have you ever used beads in cross stitch? I’d love to hear any tips you might have.

[Photo: Catkin and Lillie]

Inkspire Studio Shops offers cross stitch patterns as well as tons of different stitch minders, scissor charms and thread organization tools.

We’ll get to all that, but since we’re mostly here for the patterns, let’s start there.

All of the patterns are in one category (called Inkspire Originals if you’re following along). There are a lot of book-themed projects and more of the designs are bookmarks than anything else. You’ll find trope bookmarks, a Reading Rainbow themed design, flowers and a super cute watercolor set bookmark, to name a few.

And while the book themed projects are by far the most numerous, I wanted to share this super cute pile of vintage Pyrex style bowls. I love the colors on this one and it should be easy to stitch because so much of it is blocks (or bowls) of a single color. This one is only available as a printed pattern, but most of them are digital.

It calls for six colors and comes out 5.6 by 6.9 inches, or 14.2 by 17.5 cm when stitched on 14 count fabric.

In addition to the bookmarks and book themed projects you’ll find a few kitchen projects and some Halloween and Christmas designs as well.

But what this shop is really about is needle minders, and there are tons of them, with all kinds of themes ranging from introverted and snarky to animal themes, food and beverages, retro designs and religious and inspiring needle minders.

If you don’t know about needle minders, these are acrylic with magnets. You stick a magnet to the back of your work, add the needle minder to the front of the work, and then it holds your sewing needle when you’re not stitching. No need for piercing your fabric or losing your needle between stitching sessions.

She also makes charms you can attach to your scissors (or use as a stitch marker if you’re a knitter or crocheter), inventory and project trackers and bags large and small to hold works in progress and other supplies. She’s also got a great collection of vintage cross stitch patterns and kits, so check out all the fun goodies at Inkspired Studio Shops.

[Photo: Inkspire Studio Shops]

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