In bead crochet, you can sew beads onto completed crochet work or crochet the beads right into the fabric. Sewing beads after you complete your crochet design works well when using larger beads or making a crochet design with just a few well-placed beads.
For smaller beads, use a regular sewing needle and matching sewing thread or clear nylon thread. For large beads, use a yarn or tapestry needle and the yarn used to crochet the piece:
Using the threaded needle, insert the needle on the wrong side of the fabric in the spot where you want your bead to be positioned and draw it through to the right side.
Leave several inches of thread on the wrong side of the fabric. Make sure to insert your needle within the strands of yarn, rather than in the spaces between the stitches.
Thread a bead onto the strand of thread or yarn.
Slide the bead down close to the fabric.
Insert the needle (from the right side to the wrong side) back through the fabric.
Insert the needle close to the bead.
Cut the thread or yarn.
Leave several inches at the end.
Tie the two loose ends of thread or yarn together on the wrong side of the fabric to secure.
Weave the remaining ends into the fabric to hide them.
Make sure that the weight of the yarn is compatible with the weight of the beads. If you’re using a lightweight yarn, don’t use heavy, oversized beads. The weight of the beads can cause the stitches to droop and pull, creating an unsightly mess. On the flip side, if you’re working with a heavier weight yarn, choose beads that won’t get lost in the stitches.