Bead weaving using seed beads can be done either on a loom

Loom

A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...

 or using one of a number of off-loom stitches.

On-loom beadweaving

When weaving on a loom, the beads are locked in between the warp

Warp (weaving)

In weaving cloth, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on a frame or loom. The yarn that is inserted over-and-under the warp threads is called the weft, woof, or filler. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end or end. Warp means "that which is thrown...

 threads by the weft

Weft

In weaving, weft or woof is the yarn which is drawn through the warp yarns to create cloth. In North America, it is sometimes referred to as the "fill" or the "filling yarn"....

 threads. The most common bead weaving technique requires two passes of the weft thread. First, an entire row of beads is strung on the weft thread

Yarn

Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...

. Then the beads are pressed in between the warp threads. The needle

Sewing needle

A sewing needle is a long slender tool with a pointed tip. The first needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or 18K gold plated for corrosion resistance. The highest quality embroidery needles are plated with two-thirds platinum and...

 is passed back through the beads above the warp threads to lock the beads into place. Heddle looms were popular near the beginning of the 20th century. They allowed weaving of beads by raising every other thread and inserting strung beads in the shed, the space between the lowered and raised threads. There are still a few Heddle Bead Looms being manufactured today. The most difficult part of loomwork is finishing off the warp threads.

Although loomed pieces are typically rectangular, it is possible to increase and decrease to produce angular or curvy shapes. Fringe

Fringe (trim)

Fringe is an ornamental textile trim applied to an edge of an item, such as drapery, a flag, epaulettes, or decorative tassel.Fringe originates in the ends of the warp, projecting beyond the woven fabric...

 can also be added during weaving or before the piece is removed from the loom.

Bead looms vary in size and are typically made of wood or metal. Usually, a comb

Comb

A comb is a toothed device used in hair care for straightening and cleaning hair or other fibres. Combs are among the oldest tools found by archaeologists...

 or spring

Spring (device)

A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...

 is used to hold the warp threads a bead-width apart. Some looms have roller bars that allow the weaver to produce pieces that are longer than the loom. Most looms are meant to sit on a table, but some have floor stands or are meant to sit in the lap

Lap

A lap is a surface created between the knee and hips of a bipedal being when it is in a seated or lying down position.-Consumer products for laps:...

.

Off-loom beadweaving

Off-loom beadweaving is a family of beadwork

Beadwork

Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth, usually by the use of a needle and thread or soft, flexible wire. Most beadwork takes the form of jewelry or other personal adornment, but beads are also used in wall hangings and sculpture.Beadwork techniques are broadly...

 techniques in which seed bead

Bead

A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...

s are woven together into a flat fabric or a three-dimensional object such as a ball, clasp, box, or a piece of jewelry. All off-loom techniques can be accomplished using a single needle and thread (no warp threads), but some have two-needle variations.

Different stitches produce pieces with distinct textures, shapes, and patterns. There are a number of different off-loom bead stitches, including:

• peyote stitch
  Peyote stitch
  Peyote stitch, also known as Gourd stitch, is an off-loom bead weaving technique. Peyote stitch may be worked with either an even or an odd number of beads per row. Both even and odd count peyote pieces can be woven as flat strips, in a flat round shape, or as a tube...
  
  , also known as gourd stitch
• brick stitch
  Brick stitch
  The Brick Stitch, also known as the Cheyenne Stitch or Comanche Stitch, is a bead weaving stitch with unknown origins in which individual beads are stacked upon each other much as bricks are stacked in a brick wall....
  
  , also known as Comanche or Cheyenne stitch
• square stitch
  Square stitch
  Square stitch is an off-loom bead weaving stitch that mimics the appearance of beadwork created on a loom. Loom patterns may be used for square stitch pieces. Because each bead in a square stitch piece is connected by thread to each of the four beads surrounding it, this stitch is very strong....
  
  
• herringbone stitch, also known as Ndebele stitch
• Pondo stitch, also known as African circle stitch
• right-angle weave
• triangle weave
• bead netting
• African helix
• Dutch spiral