Top 5 Ways To Protect Your Vision When Beading

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Learn the top 5 ways to take care of your eyes when beading.

Beading is so much fun but those little beads can take a toll on your eyes. I’m looking at you size 15’s!

If you love beading but don’t want to risk your vision (and, who would?), then these tips are for you. I’m going to share five ways to protect your eyesight while bead-weaving.

5 Ways To Take Care Of Your Eyes When Beading

1. Bead In A Well-Lit Space

If you’re going to be bead-weaving, make sure that you have plenty of light.

Beading during the day in a room with nice big windows is the best option. Nothing beats sunlight especially when selecting colors for a beading project.

But, if beading during daytime is not an option, get a lamp. A lamp that you can point in any direction you need is ideal but not totally necessary. Just ensure the light is nice and bright.

2. Use Magnification

Magnifying tools such as clip-on lens or a magnifying glass are useful tools to have on hand. When beading with small seed beads e.g. 15/0 or even pearls that have notoriously tiny holes, you can use magnification to make it easier to see.

3. Get Your Eyes Checked

Eye health is of the utmost importance and you should take care of yours by getting an annual eye examination. This way, you’ll know if you have any issues and how to avoid aggravating the problem.

If you have glasses, make sure to wear yours whenever you’re beading. Any time I don’t wear mine, it leads to tired eyes and headaches. Also, keeping your prescription up-to-date is a simple way to prevent eye strain.

4. Take Frequent Breaks

Sometimes, even when I’m beading in good light and wearing my glasses, I find my eyes feeling tired. So, I take frequent breaks when beading.

This gives your eyes a chance to rest, as well as, your fingers and wrists which can get quite sore without you even noticing.

If you get caught up in your beading projects and forget to take breaks, try setting a timer. You only need to rest for a few seconds and then, get right back into the swing of things.

Try the 20-20-20 rule as recommended here. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from your project for 20 seconds to relax your eyes. It’s an activity that’s recommended when working on the computer but it can definitely apply when beading.

5. Use Colored Bead Mats

The strategic use of colored bead mats can alleviate eye strain while bead-weaving. It’s such a small thing but it’s something that I’ve done for years.

If using light-colored beads, use a dark colored bead mat and vice versa. The bead mat will help you to see the beads a lot easier and reduce eye fatigue.

These 5 ways to take care of your eyes while working on beading projects can make a huge difference. You’ll no longer suffer from tired, achy eyes and make beading all the more enjoyable. 

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