A bead stopper is a small yet very useful thing for making jewelry items. The artisans who do beading or make jewelries with a string, have to use a bead stopper in their work. The bead stopper is also known as stopper bead and it is useful for making waist beads, bracelets, anklets, earrings, necklaces and other jewelries.
The waist beads are made of a variety of stuff called beads, stones, charms, pearls, crystals and others. When you see the materials used for making waist beads or bracelets, nobody mentions the name of the bead stopper because it is not a part of any jewelry but it is used in the making/crafting procedure.
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How to Use a Bead Stopper for Making Waist Beads
The bead stopper is a small spring with two round ears. It is useful for making various jewelries and ornaments with hands. In present time, a bead stopper does not cost much, so it is not an expensive thing with any monopoly. It is a small, affordable spring that helps to stop the beads from falling off the string/thread.
In order to use a bead stopper, you should know how to open the gap between that tightly coiled spring. It is very simple, the bead stopper has two round ears as one ear on each end. You need to hold the stopper bead and squeeze its ears gently.
When you squeeze both the ears of the bead stopper, you will see a little gap between coils. You need to put the bead stopper on the beaded thread to lock it so that the beads don’t slide off the thread or beading wire.
After sometime, when your beading or crafting work is done i.e. the jewelry is ready, you can pull the ears of the bead stopper again to release the thread. So, this is how you can use a bead stopper during the jewelry beading or crafting project.
Steps for Using a Bead Stopper When Making Waist Beads
In order to use a bead stopper when you are making waist beads, just follow the simple steps given below.
- Pass the beads through the thread or wire as much as required.
- Get a bead stopper in hand and squeeze its ears.
- As the gap between coils opens, put the bead stopper on the thread/wire and leave the ears.
- Make sure you put the thread between the gap of coils where it will lock.
- Once the thread is locked with a bead stopper, the beads won’t slip so that you can do the remaining work.
- After your other work is done, squeeze the ears of the bead stopper again to release the thread/wire.
In this way, you can use a bead stopper while making waist beads at home. You can also use multiple bead stoppers as needed in your waist beads making work.
Different Sizes of Bead Stoppers
The bead stoppers are available in two different sizes called small bead stoppers and large bead stoppers. The design and functioning of both small and large bead stoppers are same but the size is different and so is the purpose.
#1. Small Bead Stoppers:
The small bead stoppers are handy and easy to use for thin threads or cords like nylon, silk or cotton. Every small bead stopper comes with 1/4-inch (0.25-inch) width and it is strong enough to hold the thread firmly to prevent the beads from slipping off the cord.
#2. Large Bead Stoppers:
The large bead stoppers are bigger in size and they come with 1/2-inch (0.5-inch) width. The large bead stoppers are suitable for thick cords or threads like leather, elastic or beading wires.
So, the bead stoppers are one of the much needed tools for making waist beads and other jewelries as there is a risk of beads slipping off the thread during the procedure. The bead stoppers are very useful and affordable, therefore all artisans use them.
