Beading Clasp Threading

Please note that not all materials are appropriate for this technique.

Please refer to the following table for which materials are best suited for this technique.

Material    Recommended?

Metal No, unless you have an especially small bead hole and a large eye needle. 

Wire No. The wire is too flexible and it will be difficult to thread the wire through your beads. 

Seed Beads Yes, seed beads are thin enough that they will not require much force to push them on the wire or through your bead hole with a glass bead latching tool (also known as a long-eyed needle). 

Glass Beads Yes, glass beads are very thin, but they may break under too much force. 

Wood Beads No. The wood is very thick and feeds too slowly through the bead hole, causing you to increase pressure on your wire. 

Metal Beads No. The metal is too rigid for this technique and may cut the threading material or push back into the hole it came through. 

Acrylic Beads Yes, acrylic beads are small enough that they will fit through most bead holes without any additional pressure needed beyond the pressure from the threading material itself (usually a single strand of thread). 

Delicas No. The Delicas are too large to fit through most bead holes, so they require more force than what is recommended for this technique. 

Hematite Beads Yes, hematite beads are small enough that they will easily thread through most bead holes without any additional pressure needed beyond the pressure from the threading material itself (usually a single strand of thread). 

Glass Pearls No. The glass pearls are too rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Magnesite Pearls No. Magnesite pearls are too rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Amber Beads No. Amber beads are too large and will not fit through most bead holes without additional pressure needed beyond the pressure from the threading material itself (usually a single strand of thread). 

Czech Glass Beads (Large Hole) Yes. The large hole Czech glass beads are small enough that they will not require much force to push them on the wire or through your bead hole with a glass bead latching tool (also known as a long-eyed needle). 

Czech Glass Beads (Small Hole) No. The small hole Czech glass beads are too rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Japanese Glass Beads No. The Japanese glass beads are too thin and rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Chinese Glass Beads No. The Chinese glass beads are too thick and rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Cape Beads No. The Cape glass beads are too thick and rigid and require much more pressure than what is recommended for this technique. 

Czech Cubic Zirconia 6 mm No. The crystals do not fit through most bead holes without additional pressure needed beyond the pressure from the threading material itself (usually a single strand of thread).

Conclusion: The beads in the table above are the best for threading through a hole on a bead.

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Threading through a bead on the wire was once considered difficult and more time consuming than simply sewing for the beginner Beadworker. However, this is now more of an option than not and should be practiced by all Beadworkers, especially beginners who do not know much about technique and proper materials. 

This technique is mostly used by beginners because they usually use a bead latching tool (also known as a long-eyed needle) to push their beads onto wire or chain links.