Soft Touch Beading Wire is our premium beading wire. If you have never felt the difference between Soft Touch and other beading wire brands, you should take a trip to your local bead store and see how different wires drape and move in your fingers. Let the wire do the talking. We don’t always consider drape as a factor when designing a necklace, but it is every bit as important as the color of the wire. Do you want your design to have a bolder, firmer look or do you want your wire to collapse and roll like thread? Opting for a cheaper produced wire can mean your designs will look rigid and inflexible. Make drape a design choice.

So, what is the difference between Soft Flex and Soft Touch? Soft Flex is our original brand. It is durable and wonderful. It has a firmer wire like look. We designed it to be flexible and able to withstand the abrasion of the coarsest beads. Soft Touch is our premium line. It has the same strength and same durability of Soft Flex. But Soft Touch drapes 50% softer than Soft Flex. It is perfect for a design you want to hang like it was strung on thread.

We have some great holiday projects we created using Soft Touch. We also wanted to show some of the strengths of Soft Touch and tips on how to use it. Read on if you would like to find out why this wonderful wire should be included in your  jewelry making supplies. 

Show us your Soft Touch creations! Join our Facebook group – VIB. Post your photos. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tips. Visit our Facebook page if you want to catch our live shows and sales.

Silver Star Beaded Earrings

Designer Sara Oehler

Materials
Satin Silver Soft Touch Beading Wire .010 Diameter - 12"
8/0 Silver Lined Crystal Seed Beads from  Fusion Beads - 50 pcs
2.5x5mm Pastel Silver SuperDuo Beads from  Lisa Kan - 40 pcs
4mm Jump Rings - 2 pcs
Ear Wires from  Halstead - 2 pcs

Tools
Chain Nose Pliers
Cutters

Instructions

These little stars are super cute. I will warn you that they aren't perfectly flat. I happen to like that but if you like your beadwork to be perfectly flat, this may not be the project for you or you can try this project with a favorite beading thread.

Offering a seed bead project without illustrations can be tough, but I tried to take several pictures to help you along in the process. Hopefully, it will be easy enough to understand. If not, please leave a message at  Ask Sara and I can try to help you through any difficulties.

Step 1: Using 12 inches of beading wire, string a seed bead and a superduo until you have five of each. Pass the wire back through the first seed bead creating a circle. Tie a square knot and trim the excess wire.

Step 2: String the wire through the open hole in the first superduo of the circle. Then, string a superduo, seed bead, a superduo and the open hole in the second superduo of the circle. Continue in this pattern until you have completed a full, second circle.

Step 3: String the wire through the open hole in the first superduo of the second circle. String a seed bead, a superduo, a seed bead and the open hole in the second superduo of the second circle. Continue this pattern until you have completed a full, third circle.

Step 4: Tie a square knot and trim the excess wire.

Step 5: Using chain nose pliers open a jump ring and attach to an open hole in a superduo. Attach the jump ring to an ear wire.

Step 6: Repeat Steps 1-5 for a second earring.

Silver Star Beaded Pendant

Designer Sara Oehler

Materials
Satin Silver Soft Touch Beading Wire .010 Diameter - 15"
8/0 Silver Lined Crystal Seed Beads from  Fusion Beads - 30 pcs
15/0 Silver Lined Crystal Seed Beads from  Fusion Beads - 10 pcs
2.5x5mm Pastel Silver SuperDuo Beads from  Lisa Kan - 30 pcs
4mm Jump Rings - 2 pcs
Chain from  Halstead

Tools
Chain Nose Pliers
Cutters

Instructions

This star is super cute. I will warn you that it isn't perfectly flat. I happen to like that but if you like your beadwork to be perfectly flat, this may not be the project for you or you can try this project with a favorite beading thread.

Offering a seed bead project without illustrations can be tough, but I tried to take several pictures to help you along in the process. Hopefully, it will be easy enough to understand. If not, please leave a message at  Ask Sara and I can try to help you through any difficulties.

Step 1: Using 15 inches of beading wire, string an 8 seed bead and a superduo until you have five of each. Pass the wire back through the first seed bead creating a circle. Tie a square knot and trim the excess wire.

Step 2: String the wire through the open hole in the first superduo of the circle. Then, string a superduo, an 8 seed bead, a superduo and the open hole in the second superduo of the first circle. Continue in this pattern until you have completed a full, second circle.

Step 3: String the wire through the open hole in the first superduo of the circle. Then, string a superduo, an 8 seed bead, a superduo and the open hole in the second superduo of the second circle. String an 8 seed bead and then the open hole in the third superduo of the circle. Continue in this pattern until you have completed a full, third circle.

Step 4: String the wire through the open hole in the first superduo of the circle. String an 8 seed bead, a superduo, an 8 seed bead and the open hole in the second superduo of the third circle.String a 15 seed bead, pass through the 8 in the third circle and then string a 15 seed bead and the open hole in the third superduo of the circle. Continue this pattern until you have completed a full, fourth circle.

Step 5: Using chain nose pliers open a jump ring and attach to an open hole in a superduo and a closed jump ring. By using two jump rings, the pendant will be oriented in the correct direction. Slip the chain through the last jump ring.

Free DIY Beaded Necklace Idea

By Jamie Hogsett

Poor Soft Touch wire, it's been a little neglected lately with all the focus on colored wire. Soft Touch drapes beautifully, is smooth like butter, and has unsurpassed flexibility. Since it's always been one of my favorite wires to use, Soft Touch is getting a little bit of love today in the form of this sweet necklace.

Soft Touch wire in the .019 diameter is the foundation for this necklace with its butterfly button, glass rounds, and wood beads from  Fusionbeads.com, jump rings and hook from Vintaj, size 15 seed beads (yes, the medium wire fits though those tiny little beads!) from Beyond Beadery, a button from the new TierraCast collection, and a lovely pendant from the equally lovely Heather Wynn Millican.

One of the best things about this design is it can be worn with the pendant in the center, or slightly off center, which is probably how I'll most often wear it. Also great is knowing I can throw it into my travel jewelry bag and never have to worry about it kinking. Oh, Soft Touch, there are so many qualities to love about you.

Restringing On Soft Touch Beading Wire

By Sara Oehler

Recently, my husband asked me to meet with two of his co-workers to fix necklaces for them that had broken. It was no big surprise to me that the first was originally strung on thread and the second was originally strung on fishing line. Both were in pieces.

Beads are like little knives chipping away at whatever you string them on. Fishing line, threads and cords are just not strong enough to stand the test of time.

Both of these designs are now freshly strung on Soft Touch Beading Wire. Soft Touch is not only strong but it is also very flexible and drapes more like a thread than a wire.

Snowflake Ornament

I know - it is getting a little late for making ornaments. However, I could not let this one pass by. It is fabulous! You'll need ornaments again next year, right? This ornament is made using Soft Touch .010/Very Fine. This design was published in Bead and Button's 2009 book, Beaded Ornaments for the Holidays and Beyond, pg 90-91. The designer, Maria Rypan owner of Rypan Designs, offers kits to make it easy to get started. Wouldn't this just make a lovely handmade gift for friends and family next year? You could even hook it right on top of a package as an added bonus and decoration. Super cute!

Simple and Elegant!

Blog:  My Book and Bead Challenges

This lovely design was created using  Soft Touch. Rather than knotting between each pearl, like a traditional pearl necklace, seed beads were strung between the pearls to give the appearance of knotting without all of the work. This simple design can be worn in a variety of ways. I enjoyed it and thought I'd share it with you.

Join the fun in our VIB Facebook Group today! Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!

Visit the  Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!

Blog contributor Thomas Soles is the Trade Show Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. His favorite stones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Tom Selleck's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com