Learn to Weave Beads in 23 Pictures |

Weaving beads really IS easy. Following are 23 pictures showing how to set-up and warp a Mirrix Loom for bead weaving without the shedding device and how to begin weaving.

Turn your clips around backwards, they will hold the warping bar while you warp. Measure to make sure your loom is even on both sides.

Place your warping bar between your clips. Make sure to press them in slightly to hold the bar securely.

Place your spring in the tray on the top of your loom. Don’t know which spring to use? Place the beads you plan on weaving on a needle and measure an inch. Then, count how many beads are in that inch. The number of beads minus one is the warp coil that will be used. For example, if you are using Delicas you would find 19 Delicas are in one inch, so you would use the 18 dent coil. There is some leeway in this, and depending on the beads you are using, it might not work out perfectly (numerically), just close. Using a smaller (lower number) coil is better than using a larger (higher number) coil.

Tie your beading thread onto the warping bar. Here, I am using C-Lon, but most beading thread will work.

Bring your warp thread down the back of the loom and under the bottom bar.

Bring your warp thread around the bottom bar and up the front of the loom.

Place your warp thread in one dent (space in the spring) and around the top of the loom. Then, bring it down the back until you hit the warping bar.

When you hit the warping bar, bring your thread around the bar and go back in the direction you just came from. This is the big warping rule: WHEN YOU HIT THE WARPING BAR, GO BACK IN THE DIRECTION YOU JUST CAME FROM. Easy, right?

Go back up the back of the loom and over the top beam. When you hit the spring, place your thread in the next dent over and continue going down the front of the loom.

When you hit the bottom beam, go around to the back of the loom and continue up the back until you hit the warping bar.

When you hit the warping bar, go back from whence you came.

Continue doing this until your piece is as wide as you want it. Then, tie off on the warping bar keeping your tension as even as you can.

Push your clips out and take hold of your warping bar.

Pull so the warping bar is down near the bottom beam.

If you are doing a thin piece, make sure you’ve warped on one side of the loom and not in the center and then balance your warping bar by tying a cord or ribbon around the other side. You could also warp another piece on the other side. We recommend warping thin pieces on one side of the loom and then balancing with a cord on the other because if you just warped in the middle, your warping bar would be unbalanced on both sides instead of just one.

Tighten your tension by turning your wing-nuts.

Begin weaving! Start your piece by tying a piece of thread to one side of the loom. You will sew in this end eventually, but it helps you begin.

Take the thread you just tied to the side of the loom and put a needle on it. Then, pick up one fewer bead than the number of warp threads you have on the front of your loom with that needle.