All About Seed Bead Stitches
Seed beading is one of the most rewarding skills a jewelry artist can have, and the plethora of seed beading stitches out there keep it interesting. But how do you know which one is right for your project, could there be others worth learning? This chart covers over 30 different stitches with a brief overview, when to use them, seed bead recommendations and links for each.
| Flat Stitches | ||||
| Stitch Type | What It Is | Looks Like | Recommended Use | Recommended Seed Bead Type |
| Brick | Rows of beads offset like bricks. Similar in look to peyote stitch, but stiffer and sturdier. Ideal for flat pieces or to form shapes. |
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Cylinder |
| Chevron | Alternating triangles of seed beads. Can be used for a crocheted look. |
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Cylinder |
| Circular Brick | Variation of brick stitch that circles other elements. |
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Cylinder |
| Daisy Chain | Seed beads stitched into a length of small, connected flowers. |
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Rocaille |
| Diamond Chain | Variation of right-angle weave with more beads. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Flat Chenille | Tight latticework stitch. Very secure while still having a fabric-like drape. |
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Rocaille |
| Flat Spiral Rope | An elaborate-looking stitch that frames larger beads in a spiral of seed beads. Be sure to have plenty of thread on hand for this stitch. |
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Rocaille |
| Herringbone and Herringbone Odd Count | Columns of beads angled away from each other. Very flexible drape. Also called Ndebele stitch. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Ladder | Beads stitched tightly together with holes parallel. Usually used to start other stitches, such as the brick and herringbone. |
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Cylinder, rocaille, bugle |
| Nepal Chain | Flowers branching on alternating stems. |
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Rocaille |
| Netting | Open net of beads. Can easily be adapted by changing bead amounts, types and sizes. |
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Cylinder, rocaille, bugle |
| Peyote | Interlocking rows of seed beads. These stitches lay flat and do not tend to work well for necklaces. |
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Cylinder |
| Pondo | Squares of beads connected with singular beads. The traditional stitch includes a thread-looping technique. Methods that are variations on right-angle weave are easier to learn. |
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Rocaille |
| Potawatomi | A daisy-style stitch from the Potawatomi peoples of the western Great Lakes region. |
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Rocaille |
| Quilling | A variation of the ladder stitch. Creates shapes and patterns. Very sturdy and stiff. |
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Cylinder |
| Right-Angle Weave | Beads formed into squares, often called RAW. |
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Rocaille |
| Square | Lined-up rows of seed beads. The look of loomed beads but not as flexible. |
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Cylinder, square |
| St. Petersburg Stitch, Regular and Double | A branching, plant-like stitch can be done as a single row or as two mirrored rows. |
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Rocaille |
| Loom Weaving | Rows of beads are stitched onto warp threads for a fabric-like strip. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Flat Cellini | Peyote stitch with graduated sizes of beads to create a 3D effect. |
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Rocaille |
| Tubular Stitches | ||||
| Stitch Type | What It Is | Looks Like | Recommended Use | Recommended Seed Bead Type |
| African Helix | A netting of beads woven by looping over thread instead of through beads. Very flexible. |
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Rocaille |
| Diamond Spiral Chain | Small clusters of seed beads that resemble a chain. |
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Rocaille |
| Cellini | Tubular peyote stitch using graduated sizes of seed beads to create a 3D effect. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW) | An advanced right-angle weave stitch for creating flexible tubes. |
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Rocaille |
| Dot Stitch | Loops of seed beads clustered to create large beads, or dots, along a single strand. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Dutch Spiral | Spiral of seed beads with a shifting section of loops. |
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Rocaille |
| Russian Spiral | A very flexible tube that is prone to collapse. |
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Rocaille |
| Spiral Rope | A core of beads surrounded by other beads in a spiraling pattern. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Tubular Brick | Stacked circular brick stitch. Sturdy and rigid. |
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Cylinder |
| Tubular Chenille | A flower-like netting. Flexible yet strong enough to retain its tubular form. |
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Rocaille |
| Tubular Herringbone | Tubular form of herringbone. The twisted variation is a gentle spiral and looks like twisted strands. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Tubular Netting | A flexible, collapsible tube. Incorporate larger beads to give the appearance of a filled tube. |
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Rocaille |
| Tubular Peyote | Rigid, stacked rows of circular peyote stitch. It is not typically recommended for bracelets or necklaces because of its rigidity. |
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Cylinder |
| Tubular Square | Rigid, stacked rows using the circular square stitch. |
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Cylinder |
| Embellishments | ||||
| Stitch Type | What It Is | Looks Like | Recommended Use | Recommended Seed Bead Type |
| Beaded Toggle Clasp | Create toggle clasps using peyote and picot stitches. |
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Cylinder |
| Fringe | Strands of beads, usually off the edge of other seed bead stitches. Variations include twisted and coral/branching. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Couching | Bead embroidery technique. Stitching over a strand of beads or cupchain, between elements, to secure to the fabric. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Picot | An ornamental finishing stitch that gives a zig-zag pattern to the edge of a design. |
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Cylinder, rocaille |
| Running Stitch | An easy, straight embroidery stitch that looks like dashed lines. One or multiple seed beads can be added to each stitch. |
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Cylinder |
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