Wooden Bead Spinner + Curved Needle

Description

This wooden bead spinner (also called a bead mill) is a simple yet very practical tool that turns stringing small beads into a quick and enjoyable task. Instead of picking up seed beads one by one, you just spin the bowl and the beads run onto the curved needle by themselves.

How it works

As the bowl turns, the beads travel in an even circle along its wall. The curved needle, dipped into this stream, catches the beads – they slip onto the tip and move along the needle onto the thread.

How to use

1. Thread the curved needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.
2. Fill the bowl with beads – roughly a third to half full.
3. With one hand, turn the bowl steadily and calmly counter-clockwise (if you are right-handed).
4. With the other hand, lower the curved tip of the needle into the beads almost horizontally, close to the bowl wall but without touching it.
5. Once a few centimetres of beads have gathered on the needle, lift it and slide them down onto the thread.

Tips

• Spin gently – if you spin too fast, the beads bounce around and fewer of them load.
• Make sure the needle is thin enough for the holes of your beads.
• Place a towel or cloth under the spinner to catch any stray beads.
• Especially handy when you need to string a lot of beads of one colour.

Ideal for

Stringing seed beads and other small beads – especially great for preparing beads for bead crochet and tambour embroidery, as well as for Lunéville (tambour) embroidery, bead embroidery, jewellery making, fringes and multi-strand necklaces.

Specifications

• Spinner dimensions: 9 × 9 cm
• Curved needle length: 9 cm
• Curved needle thickness: 0.40 mm

The set includes:

• Wooden bead spinner
• Curved needle