Beaded Ribbon Edging

The supplies for the beaded ribbon edging are easy: sewing thread, beading needle, ribbon, beads and your finished piece. You need a needle that will go through the small beads holes ~ check it! I use sewing thread because it is stronger than embroidery floss ~ don't want it to break! Also shown here is my Tacky BOB, a little sticky case you put the beads into and is very handy to keep beads from flinging everywhere if they get bumped. Wait, make that when they get bumped.

First measure and mark your bottom center and secure a knotted thread. I try to use a long enough thread to do the entire ornament but it is easy enough to start another if needed. You want to start just to the left of the center. Hint: if you slide your needle through the seam you can tuck the knot into the seam to hide it. Sometimes, this takes a little poking of the knot with the blunt end of the needle. Don't secure the thread to the needle, if you make a mistake you need to be able to take the needle off and "stitch" backwards!

I use ribbon right off the roll since I won't know how much it's going to take. Choose a place on the ribbon to start, leave a long tail. Come out of the ribbon, go though a bead and go back into the ribbon on the same side ~ don't loop over the ribbons edge. Here is where you will make the mistakes and need to reverse ~ by looping the edge. I do it at least three freakin' times and have to back up!

Now, slide the needle through the seam the next bead spot. Randomly, please! We want this to be carefree! I usually give a little knot in the seam between the beads so if the thread breaks fewer beads will scatter.

See how I'm going through the seam? This is much like the ladder stitch (in the video on my last tutorial) except instead of joining two seams you are joining a seam and a ribbon, hiding the thread inside the seam.

I loop the ribbon. I twist the ribbon. I made wide hops. I make short hops. Can I emphasize random?

When you get to the top, measure and mark the center. If it isn't centered it won't hang straight on the tree. I leave a nice loop for hanging. You could also sew a hanging loop into the seam when you are sewing the pillow together, in that case you'd skip this part. I keep meaning to try that but I always get the darn thing sewn together before I remember!

See how I've made my hanging loop? Continue your random beading.

At the bottom place your last bead just to the right of center and tie a knot in the two ribbon ends. I leave these as a tail at the bottom but there is no reason you couldn't fold both ribbon ends underneath a bead and leave no tail.



I have a finished ornament! This one was so much fun to create, especially getting to show it to you step by step!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox