Here is the definitive book on the history of beads and bead-making techniques--with more than 350 full-color photos and step-by-step instructions for creating 30 beautiful, authentic beaded objects from a variety of world cultures. Projects include belts, earrings, and purses to a stunning collar necklace straight from ancient Egypt. Full color.

An illustrated, step-by-step guide to creating jewelry from a wide variety of beads.

Learn to craft one-of-a-kind miniature boxes in a variety of shapes no matter your skill level with this assortment of twelve charming beadwork designs. Julia S. Pretl offers crafters her original method for creating decorative beaded boxes and lids in a wide range of surface designs and shapes. Working only with cylinder and seed beads, needle and thread, crafters can create an impressive array of clever and colorful miniature containers. With step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow word graphs and patterns, Pretl leads the reader through the techniques for creating three-sided, five-sided, and six-sided rectangular, square, and stacked boxes. Four-color photographs of each of the 12 designs introduce each set of instructions. Detailed drawings illustrate the beading techniques.

“This fantastic starting point for those beginning in the art of beadwork aptly covers the long record of the art form throughout the world.”—Booklist French mourning wreaths‚ Ukrainian Easter eggs, Norwegian bodices, Chinese slippers, Pakistani hair tassels, Egyptian belly-dancing outfits, Maasai wedding dresses, Sioux moccasins . . . from Greenland to Bali, beadwork from all over the world is illustrated and its history revealed. The earliest drawn glass beads were produced from around 200 BC in various locations in India and exported for centuries along the major trade routes to Africa and Asia. From the sixteenth century on, beads made in Europe became highly desirable trade items and spread throughout the world. This book is organized into five sections, with more than forty topics in all. Each of four main regional sections—Africa; the Americas; Europe; and Asia, Oceania, and the Arabian Gulf—outlines the history of beads in that area before examining production in detail. A fifth section surveys techniques, from brick stitch and herringbone weave to lazy stitch and three-dimensional structures. Includes information on collecting and conserving beadwork and a list of public collections around the world.

Explore a world of beads! The newest entry in Lark’s popular Beading with...series goes international and multicultural, with more than 30 dazzling jewelry projects that showcase popular "tribal” and "ethnic” beads. As with the other books in the series, this lavishly illustrated volume offers an introduction to scores of different beads, illustrates all the basic techniques, and presents both beginner and intermediate projects from a pool of talented designers. The one-of-a kind pieces range from Jean Campbell’s jangly Milagros Charm Bracelet to Elizabeth Glass Geltman and Rachel Geltman’s porcelain-beaded "A New Chinese Twist”--with stops in India, Africa, and many other countries along the way.

Sophisticated glass baubles for Venice, intricate silver filigree from India, and intriguing batik back bone from Africa--dazzling and elegant beads from around the world have earned a passionate following among designers, collectors, and jewelry-makers alike. Beads have played a significant role throughout history for nearly all cultures, serving as adornments, money, and charms to bring luck or ward off evil. Now, with this definitive book written by the two biggest authorities in the field, Janet Coles and Robert Budwig, you can explore bead traditions from around the world. Learn all about the fascinating ways that these ornaments are made and used today as well as throughout history, and then put to your newfound expertise to work with thirty step-by-step projects for creating replicas of authentic, traditional beaded jewelry.-From Peruvian ceramic beads and pre-Columbian gold and rock crystal to silverwork from Bali, Janet Coles and Robert Budgwig celebrate the beauty, diversity , and traditions of beads. -Ideal for designers, collectors, jewelry-makers, and anyone with an eye for beads.-Richly illustrated with the stunning photography of Jonathan Lovekin.

In Bead Power, Carolyn Manzi traces the historical and cultural significance of beads and beading, while telling how she herself came to love beads. With easy to understand instructions on making your own beautiful beaded items, Bead Power encourages you to embrace beading both as an art, and as a delightful means of self-expression and personal growth.