Topics: Restringing Fringe

Q.
I want to restring the beaded fringe on an antique lamp shade, but I don't know what type of thread or needle to use. A lot of the beads are teeny-teeny-tiny, so I'm not sure if there is a needle small enough. Maybe a stiff thread alone would work? Would appreciate any suggestions you might have to get me started on this project.
- Susan
A.
Beading needles are specifically designed for working with the type of seed beads you are using on your antique lamp shade. They are made of sharp, thin lengths of wire with an eye that's no wider than its body. To thread a beading needle, hold the very end of the thread between the forefinger and thumb of your non-dominant hand while you place the eye of the needle on the thread end and feed the thread through.

Berkley® FireLine® is a strong, stiff thread that works well for stringing seed beads and fits nicely through the small eye of a beading needle. It will also hold up well to the weight of the seed beads as they hang on the shade. For very small seed beads such as size 15's (about the size of a poppy seed), go with a 4-lb test weight. For size 11's (about the size of a sesame seed) the 6-lb version works best.

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