Miyuki twisted bugle beads (TW2712, TW2012, TW206) are a great way to add texture and interest to your stringing and weaving projects. You may be familiar with regular bugle beads which are smooth cylindrical tube beads commonly used in stringing, weaving, fringe, and netting patterns. Twisted bugles are shaped like a long hex or cut bead instead of being smooth cylinders. When looking directly at the hole of the bead you'll notice the edges around it form a 6 sided hexagon. These beads are gently twisted to give them their beautifully textured surface. Think of a barbershop pole or peppermint stick; the raised 'hex' lines create the subtlety twisted exterior that seems to glide around these beads.
Proportionally, bugle beads are always longer than they are thick, to maintain their tube-like shape. Twisted bugles come in three sizes, two of which are much larger than Miyuki's 3mm and 6mm smooth bugle beads. Perfect if you need a little extra length and the regular bugles aren't long enough (or textured enough.)
TW2712 bugle beads are the thickest twisted bugle and measure 2.7 x 12mm. These chunkier bugles offer the most texture and give a thoughtful weightiness to your design. They appear more structural that the other bugles because of their larger size and the twist is the most pronounced. These large twisted bugles are bold, lovely, and will become the focal point to any project.
TW2012 bugles are the same length as their TW2712 bugle beads but are slightly more slender. These beads measure 2mm X 12mm and because they're not quite as thick as the 2712s there are more twists around each bead. These slender twisted bugles look gorgeous either strung or woven together. They make for an interesting spacer when paired with other rounds or shapes and their twisted surface offers a more subtle texture and shine than the bolder look of the TW2712s.
TW206 bugle beads are the same thickness as the more slender TW2012s but they measure just 6mm long. They are exactly half the length of the 2012s. They are the same length as Miyuki's BGL2s, so if your beading pattern calls for BGL2s you can interchange the TW206s in order to add more of a 'twist' to the style or pattern you've got in mind.
Twisted bugles are perfect for adding a cool effect to bead weaving, stringing, and embroidery. Because each bugle is longer than a seed bead, the same designs can take much less time to create as they string up very fast.
Twisted bugle beads are available in lots of colors both shiny and matte. The matte versions have a patina running along their flat surfaces which gives them a rustic/vintage appearance. The metallic and shiny finishes catch the light at different angles giving your pieces a very fluid type of sparkle like ripples in water. Try them as spacers or as fringe on both earrings and necklaces. The motion of the fringe adds movement to any design.
Try the twisted bugle collection in your next creation or check out some of our free project ideas on the blog.
Be sure to check out all of our project ideas using twisted bugles: