Beaded Barrel Bead Tutorial

Prepare your materials Thread your needle with about 4 feet of beading thread, add a stop bead, and gather 8 mm crystals, 6 mm pearls, 3 mm bicones, 8/0 seed beads, and 11/0 seed beads. Build the RAW foundation Create four connected right-angle weave (RAW) units using the 8 mm crystals, pearls, and 8/0 seed beads to form the bead's framework. Shape the barrel bead Join the final RAW unit to the first, pull the thread tight, and form the structure into a rounded barrel shape with an opening through the center. Reinforce the structure Add 11/0 seed beads between each RAW unit on both sides to strengthen and stabilize the bead. Embellish the center Add 3 mm bicones, 8/0 seed beads, and 11/0 seed beads in a crisscross pattern across the center of the bead. Repeat around all four sections. Create the side netting Work from one corner to the next, adding groups of 11/0 seed beads and 3 mm bicones to form decorative V-shaped netting on both sides of the bead. Add pearls and bead caps Place pearls between the bicones, then add 11/0 seed beads, 8/0 seed beads, and 3 mm bicones to create decorative caps around each pearl. Finish the bead Reinforce the final round, weave in the thread ends, remove the stop bead, trim the thread, and string the finished barrel bead onto a cord or jewelry project.