Beading (Introductory Level)

Beading (Introductory Level)
Date: March 11, 2023 (Saturday)
Time: 11:30 am to 3:30 pm
Instructor: Emma Whaley (they/them/theirs)
Fee: $50.00 plus HST(Members) | Fee: $57.50 plus HST (Non-Members)

This 4-hour workshop offers an introduction to beading, the history of beading, and application of contemporary bead work. You are invited to discover the global impact that beads have had on history and diverse cultures through time and space.

Unit 1 Getting to Know You (11:30 am – 12:00 pm)
What interests you? What do you do for fun? What do you like (Nature, animals, sports, fantasy, architecture)? Threading needles demonstration. Knotting thread, and why you need extra heavy felt.

Unit 2 History of Beading (12:00 pm – 12:30 pm)
The diverse uses of beads throughout history. Cultural influences on the bead. Paper, glass, wood, shell, and clay. Textile history and cultural impact. Examples, King Tutankhamun’s beaded sandals, The Mi’kmaq, Paper Beadmaking in Uganda and Kenya.

(Lecture style presentation)

Unit 3 Glass seed beads (12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)
Beading in the round. Beading earrings, necklaces, and key chains. Backing your beading; suede, leather, textile, fur.

Unit 4 Paper beads (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm)
Making paper beads requires patience. Students will make their own paper pony beads using cut colored paper strips.

Unit 5 Application (2:30 pm – 3:30 pm)
Students will use the paper beads that they have made to bead onto felt.

Materials Fee:
Glass Seed Beads (Real Canadian Dollar Store)
Colored paper
Elmer’s craft glue
Scissors
Thread
Beading needles and embroidery needles
3mm-5mm thick felt