Authentic American Indian Beadwork and How to Do It

Craftspeople who admire striking Indian designs can now create beautiful, colorful beadwork originated by the Chippewa, Iroquois, Pawnee, Seminole, Winnebago, and other American Indian tribes. This book is a complete guide to this time-honored handicraft, offering step-by-step instructions, clear diagrams, and 71 tribal designs for two types of traditional bead applications — bead weaving and appliqué beading. You'll find fifty versatile designs charted on graph paper for bead weaving and twenty-one full-size patterns for appliqué, including transfer instructions and color keys. Easy-to-follow directions tell you how to construct your own bead loom. Choose from a rich array of motifs rendered from authentic American Indian artifacts found in museum collections — stars, exciting geometrics, sunbursts, exquisite florals, and much more. Beadcrafting is surprisingly easy to learn, offering hours of enjoyment and satisfaction. Follow the charts to weave belts, headbands, sashes, necklaces, and other eye-catching accessories. Use the appliqué patterns to decorate leather, denim, and other fabrics for handbags, vests, blouses…anything that would be enhanced by a touch of distinctive Indian beadwork. With this inexpensive do-it-yourself book, you can create beautiful projects for yourself and your family and memorable gifts — for a fraction of the price you'd pay in a store.