Explore our vast assortment of beads, ideal for handmade jewelry, accessories, decorative crafts, cards, and scrapbooking! Choose from over 10,000 different beads in a diverse array of materials including natural wood, clay, metal, glass, and plastic for your creative projects. Enjoy substantial seasonal and bulk purchase discounts, making our beads even more affordable!
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Choosing the right beads for your projects starts with the material — because every material is different when using and wearing it. Acrylic is light and easy for beginners, glass adds shine and weight, wood has a warm natural surface, and metal works well as an accent and spacer. Once you know what properties the finished piece needs, the choice becomes much easier. Below you’ll find a list of the types of beads we offer, along with specific guidance on when each is suitable.
| Project | Suitable beads | Recommended size | Suitable base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracelets | Acrylic, glass, wooden | 6–10 mm | Elastic, cord or string |
| Martenitsi | Lightweight acrylic or glass | 3–5 mm | White-and-red string or thread |
| Necklaces | Acrylic, wooden, glass, metal accents | 8–14 mm | Cord, wire or string with clasp |
| Children’s projects | Large acrylic, wooden or silicone | over 10 mm | Thicker cord or elastic |
Tip: for bracelets and martenitsi — traditional Bulgarian red-and-white spring charms — choose lighter beads, since the piece is worn directly against the wrist. Use larger and heavier beads as accents for necklaces, keychains and decorative projects. For children’s crafts, always check the component sizes and age recommendations in the product description.
Acrylic plastic beads are the lightest and easiest for beginners. A standard 18 cm bracelet made from 8 mm acrylic rounds typically takes about 22–24 beads. A glass-bead bracelet of the same size feels roughly twice as heavy — that’s why acrylic is preferred for long necklaces, children’s projects and martenitsi, where weight matters. They come in solid, transparent, metallic, matte, rubberised and two-tone finishes. With everyday wear, the solid finish lasts longer than the metallic or pearl ones.
Wooden beads don’t heat up the way metal ones do. They also have a natural look — a practical choice for summer accessories, boho jewellery and children’s bracelets. Untreated wood can be painted, sanded and engraved, which makes it perfect for personalised projects, souvenirs and decorations with folk motifs. We recommend choosing a more stable cord or string — thin thread wears out faster with repeated wear because it rubs against the bead’s hole.
Glass beads have rich colour, transparency and shine. Czech glass is the recognised standard in this niche — it’s produced with more even sizing and more consistent colour between batches, which matters when you mix beads from different packs. Transparent glass beads have one important property: their visible colour shifts depending on the thread or base underneath — plan the colour combination together with the cord or elastic, not separately.
Metal beads and elements add structure, weight and a finished look to your projects. Placed between lighter beads, a metal spacer helps the composition look more orderly and reduces direct friction between different surfaces. For longer necklaces, alternate metal accents with acrylic or wooden beads so you don’t overload the base and the clasp.
Decorative beads include porcelain, art beads, Shamballa and special decorative variants. They’re useful when the project calls for a specific texture, colour, softness or a non-standard decorative effect.
Beads are used for elastic bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants, brooches, keychains, martenitsi, card-making, decoration of clothes and accessories, festive ornaments and home decor. Small sizes work well for fine rows, fringes and embroidery, while larger shapes work well as a central accent.
For handmade bracelets and necklaces, pick a main material and add metal spacers for visual space. For martenitsi made for Baba Marta (Bulgarian spring holiday celebrated on March 1st), small acrylic or glass beads 3–5 mm are a practical choice thanks to their lightness and colour variety. For Christmas decoration, metal and crystal beads add shine without any need for painting.
The hole size determines what base you can work with — check it before buying, especially with decorative shapes where the hole is sometimes smaller than expected relative to the body diameter. Beads under 4 mm usually require a finer needle or thread. Beads of 6–10 mm are convenient for standard cord or 0.5–0.8 mm elastic. For elastic bracelets with heavier beads — glass or metal over 8 mm — choose a more stable elastic to reduce the risk of uneven stretching.
For techniques like Brick Stitch and Peyote Stitch, choose uniform cylindrical seed beads — they give a denser and cleaner surface than round ones. With Peyote, the thread runs directly through the bead and the piece is more flexible — suitable for bracelets and curved shapes. With Brick Stitch, the thread runs under the thread bridges and the result is more structured — suitable for geometric motifs, earrings and panels. Japanese cylindrical seed beads give a more precise result with both techniques.
For a finished project, you’ll need a base and connecting elements from jewellery accessories and stringing supplies — cord, elastic, wire or string, depending on the material and weight. For fastening, add clasps, end caps and rings from metal jewellery accessories. For martenitsi, combine beads with thread, string and lightweight plastic figurines for decoration.
At EM ART you can choose beads not only by colour but also by material, size, shape, hole and intended use. This matters because different projects call for different bases — elastic for bracelets, cord or wire for necklaces, string for martenitsi, and the right connecting elements for a finished result.
For delivery times, payment methods and order pickup conditions, see the delivery and payment page.
Acrylic beads of 6–8 mm are the easiest to start with — lightweight, with a wide hole and easy to thread onto elastic without a special needle. For your first bracelet, pick one shape and one finish rather than mixing — it’s easier to control the length and the final look of the strand.
Acrylic is lighter than glass at the same size and doesn’t break when dropped — a practical choice for martenitsi, long necklaces and children’s projects. Glass gives more shine and richer colour but feels heavier when worn. If you mix the two in one strand, distribute the glass elements evenly — concentrated on one side, they pull the strand down and shift the clasp out of position.
Yes — small acrylic or glass beads of 3–5 mm are the standard choice. They’re strung onto twisted white-and-red thread or string. For faster making, choose pre-strung strands instead of loose beads.
Larger wooden beads can be used in children’s craft projects under supervision. Small beads under 10 mm are not suitable for young children due to a swallowing risk. Always check the size and the age recommendations in the product description. For soft elements without sharp edges, also have a look at the silicone beads.
For a bracelet of about 18 cm, you usually need 22–24 beads at 8 mm, around 28–30 beads at 6 mm, or 18–20 beads at 10 mm. The exact count depends on the wrist size, the type of base and whether you’re adding spacers.
For an elastic bracelet, use an elastic suited to the size and weight of the beads. For a necklace with glass or metal elements, choose a more stable cord, wire or string. Add a clasp with suitable rings and end caps for a stronger and cleaner finish.
