A technique used to add beads to fabric on everything from formal wear, to everyday wear, to shoes to home décor, bead embroidery opens up a whole new world of possibilities for both beading and embroidery artisans and enthusiasts.

Used extensively throughout history to decorate the clothes of emperors, kings, and nobles, the thread used to embroider these stitches was of silk, silver or gold. The beads they used were often made of precious or semi-precious stones, with pearls being particularly popular and plentiful.

The popularity of beaded clothes, accessories and home décor items has increased during the first part of the 21st Century, and continues to remain popular. Not just for nighttime anymore, beads are showing up on daytime clothes, as well as purses, gloves, boots, shoes, and hair accessories, as well as jewelry.

More eco-conscious artisans, crafters, and hobbyists are recycling or upcycling used and vintage clothing. The revamping of these items often includes the addition of bead embroidery to either enhance an existing feature of the newly refurbished garment, or to create a new feature or embellishment on the garment.

The technique involves one of three approaches: sew beads in strategic or prominent places within an existing design to add sparkle and shine, enhance regular embroidery stitches with beads, or create embroidery stitches with beads.

In the first approach, simply add single beads or clusters of beads to highlight details of a print fabric or strategically placed along seams, hems or edges of solid-colored items. Add beads to the centers of flowers in a floral print, or highlight just one other aspect of the particular print. On solid-colored fabrics, beads in contrasting or the same colors should be added following the lines of the garment, as a highlighting feature. One of the best ways to do this is to add them to the neckline of a top or dress.

If you like to embroider and want to add sparkle and shine to your stitchery, add a few strategically placed beads to your design. Use them sparingly in this application, seeking to highlight and enhance your embroidery with the addition of the beads. Try to consistently highlight the same aspect of the design, such as the tips of flowers, or their centers, or some other aspect of the stitched embellishment.

One way of creating traditional embroidery stitches entirely of beads is to string the required number of beads to make each phase of the stitch, and then stitch that phase before moving on to the next phase of the stitch. Or each bead can be individually sewn onto the fabric in its proper position to ultimately form the beaded version of the embroidery stitch.

Bead embroidery remains a popular craft for artisans and hobbyists alike.

Copyright Sharon Shares, 2011