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Cool Tools
Listed under: One Voice
Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012
While beads may take pride of place in your store, it is essential to provide your customers with the right tools and gadgets needed to create something beautiful.
There are a range of various different tools that your customers will be eager to get their crafty mitts on. Whether it's crimping pliers to secure beads in place, a bead board to hold up beads while you work or an awl used for knotting; having a broad selection is vital to pull in the trade.
We spoke to four beading experts to give you the lowdown on the essential tools to entice your customers...
Jo Lochead, The Bead Shop, Scotland,
Recommends...
The Thread Zapper
The Thread Zapper is powered by a single AA battery and with the push of a button heats a tiny tip. When the tip is touched on a thread, it simply melts away. Laura McCabe is a big fan of the Thread Zapper, and if your customers do a lot of beadweaving, they'll soon be wondering how they managed without it! It's perfect for sealing the ends of thread and getting rid of all the wispy little bits of thread on your beadwork.
Mandie Rodwell, Bijoux Beads, Bath and Salisbury
Recommends...
Beadsmiths Flex Wire Cutter
With the emphasis this year on cords this is the perfect pair of cutters to sell to your customers.
Ideally, the Flex Cutter is used to cut all types of beading threads inc Tiger Tail, Leather and most cords. We don’t advise using them on craft wires as the blades will blunt, however some of our customers, myself included have two pairs on the go, one for threads and another pair for wire use.
Kerri Mckenna, The Bead Shop, Manchester
Recommends...
Bead Buddy – One Step Crimper
We have recently started stocking the ‘Bead Buddy- One Step Crimper’ and customers have gone crazy for them. Other than that, the most popular styles are still round nose and flat nose pliers. We sell a lot of cutters too. The Bead Buddy squashes and wraps tube crimps in one quick motion. If you have customers that are new to jewellery making, crimping pliers can be quite intimidating. They can be quite tricky to coordinate when you aren’t accustomed to using tools but the Bead Buddy makes it simple.
Colin Ells, Creative Beadcraft
Recommends...
The Hot Fix Applicator
The hot fix applicator is one of our best selling tools – it is easy to use and can be used for general crafting purposes as well as jewellery making. We recommend the Professional Touch® hot-fix applicator which is strong and gives excellent results. This tool is used to apply Swarovski hotfix crystals and trims to all sorts of accessories, as well as for jewellery making. The tool has eight tips from 2 - 7mm rounds and a 4mm and 9mm flat tips for other shapes. Apply the stones to a bangle for gorgeous jewellery or personalise clothes and accessories.
We spoke to four beading experts to give you the lowdown on the essential tools to entice your customers...
Jo Lochead, The Bead Shop, Scotland,
Recommends...
The Thread Zapper
The Thread Zapper is powered by a single AA battery and with the push of a button heats a tiny tip. When the tip is touched on a thread, it simply melts away. Laura McCabe is a big fan of the Thread Zapper, and if your customers do a lot of beadweaving, they'll soon be wondering how they managed without it! It's perfect for sealing the ends of thread and getting rid of all the wispy little bits of thread on your beadwork.
Mandie Rodwell, Bijoux Beads, Bath and Salisbury
Recommends...
Beadsmiths Flex Wire Cutter
With the emphasis this year on cords this is the perfect pair of cutters to sell to your customers.
Ideally, the Flex Cutter is used to cut all types of beading threads inc Tiger Tail, Leather and most cords. We don’t advise using them on craft wires as the blades will blunt, however some of our customers, myself included have two pairs on the go, one for threads and another pair for wire use.
Kerri Mckenna, The Bead Shop, Manchester
Recommends...
Bead Buddy – One Step Crimper
We have recently started stocking the ‘Bead Buddy- One Step Crimper’ and customers have gone crazy for them. Other than that, the most popular styles are still round nose and flat nose pliers. We sell a lot of cutters too. The Bead Buddy squashes and wraps tube crimps in one quick motion. If you have customers that are new to jewellery making, crimping pliers can be quite intimidating. They can be quite tricky to coordinate when you aren’t accustomed to using tools but the Bead Buddy makes it simple.
Colin Ells, Creative Beadcraft
Recommends...
The Hot Fix Applicator
The hot fix applicator is one of our best selling tools – it is easy to use and can be used for general crafting purposes as well as jewellery making. We recommend the Professional Touch® hot-fix applicator which is strong and gives excellent results. This tool is used to apply Swarovski hotfix crystals and trims to all sorts of accessories, as well as for jewellery making. The tool has eight tips from 2 - 7mm rounds and a 4mm and 9mm flat tips for other shapes. Apply the stones to a bangle for gorgeous jewellery or personalise clothes and accessories.
