This reader-submitted tip was originally featured in Threads #176 (December 2014/January 2015).

When I took a beading class a few years ago, the teacher suggested we use a saucer to hold the beads because the curved edges stop the beads from rolling away. I loved the result, but placing the beads on the needle without them slipping on the saucer was difficult. As a result of my frustration, I made a beading frame. I gathered an old 5-inch by 7-inch picture frame and some napped fabric. I removed the glass and cardboard backing from the frame. I placed the fabric over the glass and put the three layers back into the frame. The napped fabric holds the beads steady as I place them on my needle, and the frame’s raised edges keep the beads from rolling away. Compared to the large beading trays, this solution is inexpensive, lightweight, and portable.

-Gloria Fletcher, South Lake Tahoe, California

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