How to Make a Decorative Edge for Cushions

Cut three feet of beading thread. Pass the length of the thread through a tube of beading wax. Thread a size 10 beading needle. Pull the thread 10 inches through the needle. Tie a knot at the end of the longest side of the thread.

Insert the needle through the seam at the corner of one edge of the cushion. Pull the thread to the knot.

Slide one size 11 seed bead over the needle down to the cushion. Follow the seed bead with a 3 mm bead, another seed bead, a 4 mm bead and another seed bead. Continue this pattern of beads until the fringe is the desired length. End with a seed bead.

Pass the needle back through the last 4 mm bead in the strand. This is the bead adjacent to the last seed bead added. Insert the needle back up through all of the beads in the fringe strand, exiting through the first seed bead added. Skipping the last seed bead added anchors the strand of beaded fringe.

Pass the needle through the cushion seam beside the first strand of beaded fringe. Leave up to a half-inch of space. Pull the thread taut. Repeat the pattern to make another strand of beaded fringe.

Follow the process to stitch beaded fringe strands along the edge of the cushion. Leave a uniform amount of space between each strand of beaded fringe. Tie new beading thread onto the working thread as necessary using a square knot. At the end of the decorative edging, insert the needle back and forth through the seam in the cushion strand at least four times. Cut the excess thread.