Beading can be both a relaxing and a frustrating activity. I have come to realise it after joining a beading class about two months ago.

I was disappointed when I went for the first beading session. I had thought that I would learn to make jewellery using beads. Instead, this class is about using beads to make card holders, baskets and figurines of Chinese zodiac animals, etc. Since I was already there, I thought that I would give it a try and learn something new.

I paid the instructor $7.50 - $7 for two small packets of plastic beads and 50 cents for a coil of wire. She did not have the colours which I wanted, so I settled for the black and white beads. As this is my first attempt at beading, I chose the most basic item which is a card holder with no handle. The design is also simple, just alternate rows of white and black beads.

Each side of the card holder requires 16 alternate rows of black and white beads with 11 groups of 3 beads in each row. You thread 2 beads with the left end of the wire and “lock” the last bead with the right end of the wire. Then you use the right end to thread a neighbouring bead on the right. Repeat these steps until you complete the 10th group. For the 11th group, you do the same except that you thread the 2 beads with the right end of the wire and “lock” it with the left end. When you start a new row and for the first group, the process is the same except that you thread 3 beads instead of 2.

Once you get the hang of threading and “locking” the beads, it is a matter of repeating the process and this makes it relaxing. When you thread the wrong number of beads or “lock” them wrongly, you have to undo it by pulling out the beads. The wire gets crooked and it is difficult to thread the beads with it. Once, I had to remove 2 rows of beads and it was frustrating!

A few weeks ago, the instructor told me that she was glad to see me still coming for the sessions. She said that she has had participants who got impatient and so frustrated that they threw away their unfinished work.

I have finished one side of the card holder and have started on the other side. I am not sure if I will continue with this activity when I have finished doing the card holder. I will focus on completing it and decide later as I am more interested in learning to make jewellery with beads.