Are you interested in learning how to do bead crochet? If so, you’ll want to check out our suggestions for the best beadwork books available. Here they are:
The Beaded Edge 2
If you were to ask me to pick my all-time favorite book about bead crochet, it would be an extremely tough choice — but this is the book I’d choose. In this book, you’ll find 26 spectacular patterns for making beaded trim and edgings. This book also includes several step-by-step photo tutorials plus outstanding symbol crochet charts and written instructions. If you’re a bead crochet beginner, you’ll find plenty of inspiration and motivation for getting started with the bead crochet technique.
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Crochet Master Class
Beadwork enthusiasts will find five different sections of interest in this book. The first is the Tapestry crochet section of the book by Carol Ventura.
Carol is one of my crochet heroines. The information she has shared in this section of the book is simply genius. Traditionally, if you wanted to do multicolored bead crochet, your work would involve a lot of tedious planning and counting — and huge headaches if you made any miscalculations along the way. It was enough to keep any sane crocheter from wanting to get too involved with the technique.
Then…along came Carol with her refreshing new ideas for how to beat the tedium and inject a huge dose of spontaneity into the bead crochet technique. If you’re at all interested in combining beadwork with crochet, you need this information. Seriously.
You might not fully appreciate it unless you’ve tried working multicolored bead crochet patterns in the traditional way. Or maybe you’ll appreciate it if you wanted to try working multicolored bead crochet patterns in the traditional way, but you gave up because it was a pain in the neck. Either way, do yourself a favor: get this book and try it Carol’s way. I bet you’ll have a major breakthrough in your bead crochet work if you try the technique her way.
She gives you a gorgeous beaded bag pattern to practice with, so you’ll have some great motivation for getting started.
The second beadwork-related section of this book is the Bead crochet section by Lydia Borin. This section includes a bead crochet necklace pattern.
The third beadwork-related section of the book is the Tunisian crochet section by Julia Bryant. In this section of the book, Julia shares a pattern for a bead and roses coat for little girls.
You might not already know how to do color patterns or beadwork in the afghan stitch (otherwise known as “Tunisian simple stitch) — and if you don’t, this is your chance to learn how.
The fourth beadwork-related section of this book is the wire crochet section by Nancie Wiseman.
You don’t need beads to be successful with wire crochet, but the two media do often go hand in hand. Wire and beads are sort of like peanut butter and jelly. They’re amazing together.
The project Nancie shares in this section of the book is a bead and wire purse pattern. It’s really gorgeous, and it’s suitable for eveningwear and special occasions.
The fifth beadwork-related section of the book is the part on tassels by Nancy Nehring. Tassels just beg to be embellished with beads. The project Nancy shares in this section is a Victorian flower tassel that does, indeed, include gorgeous pearl and bead embellishments.
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Vintage Modern Crochet
Bead crochet isn’t a new thing at all. It was hugely popular in the 1890s – 1920s. Nowadays those vintage pieces are still highly collectible, and they’re sought after by savvy fashionistas worldwide.
If you want to make yourself some vintage-style beaded fashion accessories, Vintage Modern Crochet offers you some beautiful patterns for doing so.
Several of the beaded pieces in this book are jewelry items. Robyn Chachula designed a set she calls “Zandstraat Jewelry” featuring a beaded pendant necklace and cuff bracelet.
She has also designed several beaded variations on a Tunisian crochet cuff bracelet. She calls this design the “Syrah Cuffs”.
One other beaded piece in this book is an intricate Irish crochet shawl that features an optional beaded edging. The beads in this project are actually sewn onto the crochet work; if you’d like to learn how to do this, there are some helpful instructions for doing so, and this pattern lends itself perfectly to the technique.
Learn More About Vintage Modern Crochet:
- Click here to read my detailed book review of this title (and see some project photos).
- Click here to shop for this book at Knitpicks.
Crochet Stitch Dictionary
Crochet Stitch Dictionary is a general stitch dictionary rather than a book focusing exclusively on bead crochet. It includes complete step-by-step instructions for 4 different crochet stitches that incorporate beads, as follows:
- Beaded single crochet
- Beaded doubles
- Beaded groups
- Beaded loop stitch
Additionally, the book includes instructions for several sequined stitches as well.
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These are our picks for some of the best beadwork pattern books that are currently available. We welcome your suggestions for other titles that would be great additions to this list.