Turn a favorite photograph into a dimensional piece of art in this beginner friendly tutorial with designer Lauren Quigley. In this creative project for Michaels and John Bead, Lauren shows how simple seed beads and sequins can transform an ordinary photo into a textured, hand embellished keepsake.
Using size 11/0 Czech seed beads from John Bead, colorful sequins from Michaels, a beading needle, and Goodthread, Lauren demonstrates how to add delicate stitched embellishments directly onto a photograph. By punching tiny holes and stitching a sequin with a seed bead on top, you can build playful floral details and shimmering accents that bring the image to life.
The technique is simple, relaxing, and incredibly versatile. Follow Lauren’s step by step process to create a soft scatter of flowers across open areas of your photograph, or experiment with patterns, stacked beads, embroidery floss, and additional stitches to make the design your own. Because the finished piece sits inside a shadow box, you can even add larger beads and layered elements for extra depth.
This project is perfect for beginners and a great introduction to combining beadwork with mixed media and embroidery techniques. It is also a wonderful way to personalize photographs, handmade cards, or small framed gifts.
Watch the full tutorial and discover how a handful of beads and sequins can turn a simple photograph into a tiny work of stitched art.
Products Featured
Pastel Flower Sequins by Creatology™ SKU#10689731
Specialty Polyester Glitter Flower Shapes by Recollections™ SKU#10656081
Botanical Blast Shaped Confetti Pack by Creatology™ SKU#10769421
John Bead Good Thread Beadweaving Thread SKU#10720723
Cricut® TrueControl™ Weeding Kit SKU#10648463
DMC® Darners Needles SKU#10327702
DMC® Beading Needles SKU#10216644
John Bead PRECIOSA PermaLux 11/0 Czech Glass Seed Beads SKU:10737462
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Your Instructor
Lauren Quigley is your creative crafty friend. Known for her bold use of color and eye for design, she’s sparking a creative revolution and inspiring others to create happy art! She’s a Maryland native turned military spouse leaving a little glitter down craft aisles and thrift stores all over the USA. Get inspired by following her, @laurenquigleycreations on all social media platforms.
Would you like to learn more about Beading?
We can’t think of a bigger collection of free beading and crystalizing tutorials than our six years of working with Michaels Stores. We have interactive PDFs with images and links to all the workshops we have released since 2020.
