Beading Wire

Beading wire is the strongest threading option available, you will have considerable difficulty breaking any of the products in this category. It consists of a core of intertwined strands of steel coated in nylon. The thickest thread is the strongest but also tends to have the disadvantage of being the least flexible. The art is to match the flexibility required to your work and budget. Don't forget your crimp beads, most of this range isn't happy when knotted.

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List by catalogue code List alphabetically

Beadalon 7 Strand Bright Product code: BDW07

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	50p
	9m of the same design	£2.50	28p 44% saving

Beadalon 7 Strand Bright 30m Product code: BDW07

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	30m of the same design	£5.50

Beadalon 7 Strand Black Product code: BDW07

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	50p
	9m of the same design	£2.50	28p 44% saving

Beadalon 7 Strand Black 30m Product code: BDW07

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	30m of the same design	£6.75

Beadalon 7 Strand Gold Coloured Product code: BDW07

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	75p
	9m of the same design	£4.50	50p 33% saving

Beadalon 19 Strand Bright Product code: BDW19

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	£1.50
	9m of the same design	£7.95	88p 41% saving

Beadalon 19 Strand Black Product code: BDW19

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	£1.50
	9m of the same design	£9.50	£1.06 30% saving

Beadalon 19 Strand Gold Coloured Product code: BDW19

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	£2.95
	9m of the same design	£15.95	£1.77 40% saving

Plastic Coated Wire 10m Reel Product code: PCW10

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1 reel of 10m	75p
	10 reels of 10m	£3.95	40p 47% saving

Plastic Coated Wire 100m Reel Product code: PCW

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1 reel of 100m of the same design	£3.95
	5 reels of 100m	£9.95

Tiger Tail 3 Strand Product code: TT3 9m

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	50p
	9m of the same design	£2.25	25p 50% saving

Tiger Tail 3 Strand 30m Product code: TT3 30m

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	30m of the same design	£5.50

Tiger Tail 3 Strand 90m Product code: TT3 90m

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	90m of the same design	£11.50

Tiger Tail 7 Strand Product code: TT7 9m

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	1m	60p
	9m of the same design	£2.75	31p 49% saving

Tiger Tail 7 Strand 30m Product code: TT7 30m

	Quantity	Price	Equivalent Individual Price
	30m of the same design	£6.75

Showing results 1 to 15 of 20 | Next

Frequently asked questions about the collection: Beading Wire

Q: Good Morning, I am trying to make beaded butterflies and flowers but the wire I have been using keeps breaking, please can you help.
A: It might be best to try our lacemaker's wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Lacemakers-wire-0-2mm/bo5278 as it's really flexible and you can use it for intricate weaving but it's really strong.

Q: HI am loking for some wire in 22gage 26 gage and 16 gagethickness can you tell me what your equivalant size wire is please.
A: The 0.4mm wire is approx 26 gauge, 0.6mm is approx 23 gauge, 1.2mm is approx 17 gauge and 1.5mm is approx 15 gauge. Our wires have the equivilant approx gauge in the notes which can be found under the picture of each item in blue writing. The silver plated wire can be seen here: www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Silver-plated-wire/bo4196#item2947 The plastic coated wires such as beadalon are roughly 0.38mm so too small a gauge for what you are looking for. The softflex may also be an option with the fine (SFXF) being 0.4mm (approx 26 gauge) and the thick (SFXH) being 0.6mm (approx23 gauge).

Q: Hi i am looking for wire to thread to make button bracelets and necklaces so that they sit nicely - i wanted something strong but dont know if you can get jewellery wire coated with something softer but in various different colours
A: How about our Gympa; silk covered wire, you can find it at: www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Gympa-1mm/bo4222 It's strong, flexible and there's a lovely range of colours. It's 1mm thick.

Q: Hi I am new to beading and have bought lots of stuff and yet still have not made a single thing as there are so many products out there what would you advise a complete novice like me I feel more instructions would help
A: A necklace is often a good piece to start with, as the sizing is easier to get right than a bracelet, ring etc. I'd recommend our instruction booklet at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Guide-To-Bead-Jewellery-Making/bo953 , it will show you all the basic techniques. You might also look through our projects for inspiration!

Q: Hi I have been told that 7 strand tiger tail is not good for beading projects as it kinks, is this true, want my products to be unsalable coos of kinking.
A: I haven't experienced a problem with this wire kinking and it's suitable for most projects depending on the weight of the beads. If you are looking for a better flexibility, strength and kink resistance I would recommend opting for the 19 strand www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-19-strand-bright/bo4177 or medium soft flex which has 49 strands www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-19-strand-bright/bo4177.

Q: Hi is Tiger Tail 7 the strongest wire for heavy beads or is there a stronger and thicker one. thanks.
A: The strongest beading wire that we sell would be the 19 strand Beadalon wire. It's 19 strands of steel covered in a nylon coating. Although it's stronger than the 7 strand it's actually not much thicker as these strands are pretty tiny.

Q: hi there, which type of wire would be most suitable for knitting?
A: You'd need a metal based wire like our silver plated wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Silver-plated-wire/bo4196 as the ordinary beading wires won't hold the shape that you give them, they are just meant to drape across a neck, or wrist.

Q: Hi there. I want a satin finish wire that holds it's shape when a plastic (wide) pendant is attached and the sides are plain wire? I currently have some beadalon 7 strand .015in but it's a bit too thin and floppy! Do I need to increase no. of strand s or just inch width?
A: If you want a wire that will hold its shape then you need either memory wire or a plated wire suitable for sculpting, our memory wire can be found here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Memory-Wire/c429 and our silver, gold, copper, brass and coloured wire can be found here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Metal-Based-Wire/c435

Q: hi, could you please advise me the best alternative to soft flex extreme wire .019 diameter. thanks
A: The best alternative would be medium Soft Flex www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Soft-Flex-medium/bo4180 which is the same diameter and the original Soft Flex beading wire, the 'extreme' wire is a more eco-friendly version of this which you can get in various precious metal finishes but I'm sure they both perform as well.

Q: Hi, have been trying to buy a mixed supply of your plastic beading wire and when I press buy now, everything crashes. Can you help as I really would like them as the the colours look great.
A: If you click on 'view full range' you should see all the colour options available, then to buy a mix you'll see a link 'buy a mix of 10 (for the 10m reels) reels or more' if you click on this you should go through to a page with sliding bars where you can choose the colours and quantities in your mix. I've just tested the custom mixes of wire and they work fine with no crashing on my computer, it may be a problem with your browser or settings that I can't see so if it happens again could you e-mail me at mailbox@beadsunlimited.co.uk and then we can investigate what's going wrong?

Q: Hi, I am making animals out of 3mm seed beads and am after some wire which will hold their shape but is thin enough to thread through the beads
A: For complicated and intricate seed bead designs I'd recommend our lacemaker's wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Lacemakers-wire-0-2mm/bo5278 it's surprisingly tough and really easy to work with.

Q: Hi, I am wanting to make a beaded tree sculpture similar to the tree of life pendents, I was wondering what sort of wire would I need to make these?
A: It you want to make a standing sculpture you will need quite a thick metal based wire. I would start with a 1.2 or 1.5mm for the structure and then use 0.8mm or 1mm to build it up www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Silver-plated-wire/bo4196.

Q: Hi, I m looking for 1.2m silver wire to work as a cuff bracelet as shown on Making Jewellery. Do you have any or I can use something else instead pls. I have your 0.6mm one but I think that is too thin. Thank you
A: We do have Silver plated in wire available in a 1.2mm thickness www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Silver-plated-wire/bo4196.

Q: Hi, I would like to make a beaded nursing necklace/sling, which wire would you suggest, I am keen to go for the plastic coated wire, however I am unsure how to secure it as it wouldn't tie in a knot I'm sure, what do you suggest x
A: I'd suggest using cotton thong, like our waxed cord www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Waxed-cotton/bo7602?sid=3719#item3719 since wire might be a choking hazard as it has no give in it and could be quite harsh on your neck if it's being tugged on. If you're using a simple cotton thread then all you'd need for a long necklace is a couple of tight knots at the back.

Q: Hi, I'm planning on making a small bead window curtain and would appreciate your advice as to what wire would be best to purchase. Many thanks in advance.
A: It would really depend on the weight on the beads. If they are glass you will need something very strong and I would recommend our 19 strand Beadalon wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-19-strand-bright/bo4177 which should hold 15-20Ibs. Alternatively you could use our clear thick Nylon cord (0.5mm) which is also know as fishing line or monofilament as it has a test strength of 25Ibs.

Q: Hi, what is good all round beading wire for beginners? My book says 'soft flex' beading wire..?
A: Soft flex is a good one, we have some at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/home/search.php?searchfor=soft+flex&x=0&y=0 but it's rather expensive (I think because it's super flexible and you can also knot with it) so if you're crimping you could try some ordinary Beadalon 7 strand www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-7-strand-bright/bo4189 It's our most popular wire and a great all-rounder.

Q: I am making a felted ball necklace and am struggling to find a wire stiff enough but flexible so that it retains its shape. What do you recommend. I am a beginner in this area but have found some findings that I can use to finish it off. However a any help here would be appreciated. I am only using a bout 7 or 8 balls so a lot of the wire will be showing.
A: It you would like a slightly thicker but still flexible wire I would recommend our plastic coated wire which also comes in lots of great colours www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Plastic-coated-wire-10m-reel/bo4193. To keep the beads in place on your necklace you can use crimp beads www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Crimp/bo4025 and we have a great step by step beading video to create your own floating necklace www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/videos/floating-necklace-the-beginners-guide-to-beading/22.

Q: I am making bracelets and necklaces to sell so I want a wire that will be good quality and resiliant. What do you recommend? Thanks! x
A: I'd recommend the Beadalon 7 strand, it's a great all-rounder, strong, supple and it comes in a great range of colours.

Q: I am new to jewellery making. I would like to make a crystal necklace using 4, 5, 6, and 8mm bicones and using gold coloured beading wire. Which thickness do I need? I see there are different sizes. I need to double thread the last bead and crimp bead when I attach the clasp.
A: I think 7 strand Beadalon would be the best wire to try: www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-7-strand-gold-coloured/bo4175 It's really strong and should be thin enough to fit through your crystals and to double thread at the end.

Q: I am trying to make long, straight beaded garden hangings. The wire I have is in a roll and I can't get it to hand straight. Would any of your products suit my need?
A: You could try plastic coated beading wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/home/search.php?searchfor=pcw if you're looking for a cheap wire that will hang well. These are strong wires and should be up to the task but I guess it depends how heavy your hangings will be. It's not easy to knot though, we generally use it in conjunction with crimp beads www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Crimp/bo4025?sid=7030#item7030

Q: I have been using 7 strand tiger tail for my beading for a while. However I have had a few broken necklaces lately - not breaking at the crimp, but the tiger tail is breaking. I have been told that 49 strand soft flex may be stronger.. Is this true? Also - can you tell me if the 49 strand soft flex is thicker than 7 strand Tiger tail? I want to be sure I will still be able to use the same findings I already have. Thank you!
A: I'm sorry about the broken necklaces, the 7 strand tiger tail doesn't seem to be as strong as I thought it was, it should be tough enough to last for a long time. The heavy SoftFlex should be much stronger and it has a really tough coating that should stop it being worn away by glass beads that might have ragged edges. The 7 strand tiger tail is 0.45mm thick, the 7 strand Beadalon wire is 0.35mm and so is the 19 strand Beadalon wire, the heavy SoftFlex (49 strands) is a bit thicker 0.62mm but that's still only a difference of 0.17mm which should mean you can use the same beads and findings without trouble. Out of all of these threads I'd say that the 19 strand Beadalon www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-19-strand-bright/bo4177?sid=3132#item3132 would be a good next step as it's stronger than the 7 strand and I've not known it to break.

Q: I have found a project on the internet which I want to try but it says to use 49 strand or 0.18 beading wire. Can you tell me which this would be please?
A: Beadalon do produce a 49 strand wire, but unfortunately we don't have it, it's recommended for intricate projects where you need the wire to be ultra flexible. Apparently the more strands the wire has in it not only increases its strength but also its flexibility and suppleness. Our Beadalon wire only comes in 7 strand or 19 strand, but the 19 strand Beadalon is 0.18 gauge so this might be suitable for the project - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/home/search.php?searchfor=bdw19&x=0&y=0

Q: I need to find a thread that will go through some very small semi precious(ruby, emerald, sapphire etc) beads, I have wire that is 0.38mm but it is too thick. Can you advise?
A: We have a bead weaving thread called Wildfire at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Wildfire/bo4219 which is just 0.15mm but very strong, you can buy it by the metre or in 45m reels.

Q: I want to make a bracelet by crimping some fluorite beads onto 2 strands of stringing material. I want to use four 6mm beads on each strand and put a crimp each side of each bead so they don't move (like an illusion necklace but I want the stringin g material to be seen). I can't work out what stringing material to use - I tried 0.8 mm memory wire but the crimps wouldn't hold and I don't know if beading wire would keep its shape.
A: I would recommend our plastic coated coloured wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Plastic-coated-wire-10m-reel/bo4193 as it is strong and flexible but at a thickness of 0.45mm it should hold its shape nicely. You can see a finished result where we have used it with crimps to create a interwoven floating style necklace www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Plastic-coated-wire-10m-reel/bo4193.

Q: I want to use wire for a necklace made by French knitting and with beads incorporated. Please advise what I should buy, I have been told to use the thinnest wire but I don't know what this should be.
A: The most suitable wire we have would be our lacemaker's wire which can be found here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/home/search.php?searchfor=lacemaker or you could probably get away with 0.4mm silver, gold, copper or brass plated wire which can be found here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/wire-metal-based/c71

Q: I would like to attach a sharks tooth to a cord to make a necklace, which would be the best wire to use?
A: You could use any of our metal based sculpting-type wires here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Metal-Based-Wire/c435 You'd probably be best using 0.6mm wire or thinner.

Q: What gauge tigertail should I use for threading beads from 3mm to 6mm on a necklace?
A: It really depends on the weight of the beads. TT3 is great for lighter weight designs but if you would like something a bit more robust I would opt for the TT7as the extra strands of wire give it that extra strength.

Q: What is the best sort of wire for making rings which will have little beads on? My daughter fancies making some rings!
A: It depends what kind of ring she would like to make, but either memory wire or a metal based sculpting wire would be best. We have memory wire ready cut into 4 coils for rings here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Memory-wire-ring/bo4148 or a more heavy duty 3 coil version here - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Heavyweight-memory-wire-ring/bo7686 Or she could use silver, gold, brass or copper plated wire and cut it to the length she would like, then bend it around a ring mandrel or dowel with pliers, she'd need a thicker wire for it to best hold its shape -www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Metal-Based-Wire/c435

Q: What is the best wire for necklaces
A: I'd recommend 7 strand Beadalon wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beadalon-7-strand-bright/bo4189 as a good wire to start off with. It's thin, strong and easy to use with crimping beads www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Crimp/bo4025

Q: What is the best wire to do wire work? I haven't got a clue as I'm just starting out.
A: It depends on your design really, thinner wires are easier to manipulate but of course won't then hold their shape in the same way as a thicker wire. Try our Wire-Metal Based section www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Metal-Based-Wire/c435, 0.6mm or 0.8mm might be a good starting point.

Q: What is the main difference between tigertail and beadalon?
A: Tigertail and Beadalon are both made from very fine twisted steel cables that are coated in a nylon coating. The only differences between them are that Beadalon is slightly softer and comes in a larger variety of colours and strands www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beading-Wire/c434. Also the higher the strand count the stronger the wire will be.

Q: What wire would I need to fit through the small seedbeads to make mini tiaras?
A: You need a solid wire rather than beading wire, a reasonably thick type such as 1.0mm or above for the base and a thinner wire such as 0.4mm to wind the beads on with. You'll find these at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Metal-Based-Wire/c435

Q: What wire would you recommend for wooden 20 mm beads - it says stringing wire gauge 18 or 19 in the book.
A: We sell a range of metal based wires in several finishes and a 18 gauge refers to a 1mm thickness.

Q: Which is the best wire to create a floating necklace look? It needs to be fairly invisible, but strong enough for 3 beads with crimps at each end at 1 inch intervals, and for a small/medium pendant to hang too
A: We sell 2 types of beading wire that would be suitable to create a floating necklace, Tiger tail and Beadalon - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Beading-Wire/c434 They're different types of a similar product (beading wire). Our tiger tail is only currently available in a silver coloured finish but we have a range of Beadalon colours. If you are after something a bit thicker, that might hold its shape better we also have Plastic Coated Wire, which comes in a variety of colours too - www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Plastic-coated-wire-10m-reel/bo4193?sid=7576#item7576 If you're looking for something invisible then you might want to try experimenting with Nylon www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/home/search.php?searchfor=nylon&x=0&y=0 it's not as strong as wire but you can use it with crimps or glue for a delicate floating necklace.

Q: Which is the best wire to use to make necklaces that won't kink when you send them through the post, and what is the best way to send them so they don't kink? Thankyou!
A: If you are looking for something which is more flexible and kink resistant I would recommend Soft Flex www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Soft-Flex-fine/bo4179. To avoid your necklace moving around in the post you could use one of our long gift boxes which comes with a piece of wadding www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Gift-box-210x64mm/bo3786.

Q: Why do you not sell 49 strand beading wire. I found some locally but cannot find it again. It is the nicest wire to use for heavier beads.
A: We try to stock a vast range of items and we have over 3,000 lines. We do stock the 7 and 19 strand beadalon www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/beading-wire/c434 which are very popular and I will pass your request onto our buyer.

Q: You used to do 100m rolls of 7 strand beadalon, do you no longer stock in this length?
A: I'm afraid the biggest reel we stock in the Beadalon 7 strand is 30m (100ft) in length. We do have a 90m reel available in out Tiger Tail 7 strand beading wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Tiger-tail-7-strand-90m/bo4188 or 100m reels in our Plastic Coated wire www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/Plastic-coated-wire-100m-reel/bo4182.

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