How To Bead Left-handed- 3 Helpful Beading Tips

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Are you left-handed? Here are a few left-handed beading tips that you can use to make bead-weaving simpler.

In a world full of right-handed people, things are designed for the majority—door handles, shirt buttons and even bead-weaving tutorials. This means it might be difficult for left-handers to learn new beading skills.

It’s only natural that right-handed people will design tutorials in one way. But, when your left hand is the dominant one, things can get a little topsy-turvy.

Here are a few left-handed beading tips for anyone who’s trying to learn bead-weaving.

3 Useful Left-handed Beading Tips

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1. Find Left-handed Beading Tutorials

There are a ton of bead-weaving patterns and tutorials out there in internet land. And, if you look hard enough, you can find some made just for left-handed beaders.

JRPDesigns is a YouTube channel and the woman who creates the tutorials is left-handed.

2. Reverse Beading Patterns

When following beading patterns like peyote charts, read them backwards.

As a right-hander, I follow peyote charts from left to right. And, when you think about it, it makes sense because it’s more comfortable for me to work that way. I hold the beadwork in my left-hand, while working with my dominant hand.

If you’re left-handed, read the pattern from the right and work your way to the left. That way, you can work with your dominant hand.

Learn how to read a Flat Even Count Peyote Chart.

In the event that you have photo tutorials like the ones that can be found in The Bead Club Lounge Etsy shop, create a mirror image of each photo. Simply place a mirror at a right-angle to the beading pattern and look at the reflection. The photo will be flipped around and suitable for left-handed beaders.

3. Learn to Embrace Backwards Spirals

Working on a beaded spiral rope e.g. Twisted Tubular Herringbone Stitch? As a left-hander, you might find that your spirals go in the opposite direction to a right-handed person’s. And, you know what?

That’s okay!

Backwards or forwards, all beadwork is beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with having your spirals go the opposite direction to everyone else’s. That just makes your handmade jewelry even more unique.

To be honest, I don’t even pay attention to direction when I’m beading. I just pick a direction and stick with it.

If you’re a leftie, bead-weaving might be a little more challenging for you. But, once you learn some tricks to make yourself more comfortable, you’ll find beading as fun as any other right-handed person. Hopefully, these left-handed beading tips will help you do just that.

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