Beading, Informative, Technical
Best Way to Weigh Your Beads
Dec
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I wrote about this in a newsletter… in answer to the question:
” What is the best way to weigh the beads that you have in your stash or inventory?”
I received emails and messages thanking me for the info, and also an email from my bead supplier with a helpful tip!
So I thought I would share this information here with anyone who is searching for it or missed the newsletter, along with the extra info of course… lets get into it!
The BEST way is to…
Figure out how much you have of a particular bead color in your stash is to weigh the beads using a digital scale.
The type of jewelry scale that I do not recommend
Some jewelry scales have a little bowl where you can pop the beads in and are very accurate BUT can be very annoying to u se when weighing the beads in their container, so speaking from experience I do not recommend them.
Here is the one that I do NOT recommend.
Why? Because I have one… and I know how annoying it can be to use, especially when you have to weigh a number of colors.
The Ideal Scale
Below is an example of a scale that is ideal.
Note that it has the ability to weigh in 0.01g increments and can handle up to a total of 200g.
It also comes with a calibration weight which is great as you may need to calibrate your scale for accuracy from time to time. Amazon link for the scale featured in the image below.
(Not affiliated in any way)
Does it have to be that exact scale? No.
As long as it weighs in 0.01 increments it should be fine.
Be sure to check the details so that you purchase the right one.
Important To Remember
One thing to remember is to tare whatever container or baggie the beads are in.
Tare will take into account the weight of the packaging and not add it to the weight of the beads.
Just put a similar empty container or baggie, or tube exactly like the one you have the beads in on the scale and press tare. Then swap that empty baggie, container or tube with the one that has the beads in it onto the scale.
This is where the flatbed makes this easier.
I can hear you saying… but Nedal… weighing the baggie?…
Really?….
Does it make a difference?
And the answer is yep it does. Especially when weighing tiny amounts of beads.
Some weavers mark the remaining amount they have left over when a tapestry is complete and they are putting the beads away but I’m never that disciplined.
I tend to want to jump to the next project!
Here is my Process
Once I have a bead legend I am working from, I pull out all the bead colors from that legend that I have in my stash.
Weigh them one by one and then mark the weight of available beads in my stash.
Once I have those values I figure out how much of each bead color on the legend I need to purchase.
The weight listed on the bead legend minus the weight of the beads in my stash per color.
I love it when I have enough of a particular color and I don’t need to order it!
I order by the gram whenever possible or if they are larger amounts in 50g or more….
I use the Bead Order Calculations Excel file to figure out prices…. each of my patterns comes with one.
It is very helpful. It tells you the amount per color rounded to whole grams and you just enter the price per gram and it will calculate the total per bead color as well as the the total cost of the beads to be ordered. There is also a PDF version of this within every pattern package if you prefer not to use Excel.
Then after ordering my beads… the hard part starts… waiting for the beads to arrive!
The method suggested by my supplier
Thank you so much Karen Rozon for sharing your method of weighing the beads by the gram. She sent this email after reading the newsletter.
I’m including a screenshot of her email message here… with her permission of course.
Suppliers of Delica Beads by the Gram
See this page on my website to see where you can order beads by the gram in the US and in Canada.
https://beadingtreasures.com/delica-by-the-gram/
If you know of a supplier that I have not listed where you can order by the gram please let me know and I will add them to the page.
More Questions?
I frequently answer questions in my newsletters, if you would like to know more about bead weaving, see works in progress and tapestry showcases along with any new happenings such as sales etc… sign up to the newsletter.
If you have any questions you would like me to answer in the newsletter feel free to email me!
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Hi there ! I’m Nedal.
I created Beading Treasures to make information about beading large tapestries more accessible, and in doing so encouraging creating of this amazing art form.
Weaving big can seem intimidating but by using some techniques it is totally doable, no more than that it is really enjoyable!
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