Free · No sign-up · Delica, TOHO, seed beads
Bead calculator
Enter the width in beads and the length in centimetres or inches to see how many beads and grams to buy. Works for Delica 11/0, 10/0 and 8/0, TOHO Treasure and round seed beads.
- Bead count, spare allowance and grams
- Allows for the clasp and shows the finished size
- Seven bead sizes, centimetres or inches
Bead counts for common bracelet sizes
With Miyuki Delica 11/0, allowing 1.5 cm for the clasp and without a spare allowance. Each cell shows the total beads and the approximate grams.
| Wrist length | 6 beads wide | 8 beads wide | 10 beads wide | 12 beads wide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 cm (5.9 in) | 474 · 2.4 g | 632 · 3.2 g | 790 · 4.0 g | 948 · 4.7 g |
| 16 cm (6.3 in) | 510 · 2.6 g | 680 · 3.4 g | 850 · 4.3 g | 1,020 · 5.1 g |
| 17 cm (6.7 in) | 546 · 2.7 g | 728 · 3.6 g | 910 · 4.6 g | 1,092 · 5.5 g |
| 18 cm (7.1 in) | 582 · 2.9 g | 776 · 3.9 g | 970 · 4.9 g | 1,164 · 5.8 g |
| 19 cm (7.5 in) | 618 · 3.1 g | 824 · 4.1 g | 1,030 · 5.2 g | 1,236 · 6.2 g |
Bead sizes
The same pattern comes out wider and longer with bigger beads, but uses fewer of them. The figures are averages published by retailers.
| Bead | Size | Per gram | Per cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miyuki Delica 11/0 | 1.6 × 1.3 mm | ≈200 | ≈5.9 |
| Miyuki Delica 10/0 | 2.2 × 1.7 mm | ≈100 | ≈4.3 |
| Miyuki Delica 8/0 | 3.0 × 2.7 mm | ≈30 | ≈3.2 |
| TOHO Treasure 11/0 | 1.7 × 1.3 mm | ≈190 | ≈5.6 |
| Round seed bead 15/0 | 1.5 × 1.0 mm | ≈250 | ≈6.3 |
| Round seed bead 11/0 | 2.0 × 1.2 mm | ≈110 | ≈4.8 |
| Round seed bead 8/0 | 3.0 × 1.9 mm | ≈39 | ≈3.2 |
How the calculation works
Turn the length into beads
Take 1.5 cm off the bracelet length for the clasp and divide the rest by the space one bead takes along it. A Delica 11/0 takes about 1.7 mm with the thread: 15.5 cm ÷ 1.7 mm ≈ 91 beads.
Multiply by the width
Multiply the beads along the length by the width: 8 × 91 = 728 beads. Making several pieces? Multiply by the number of pieces too.
Add spare beads and convert to grams
Add 10–15% for broken, misshapen and lost beads, then divide by the beads per gram: 801 ÷ 200 ≈ 4 g of Delicas.
Buying the right amount
- Work color by color: count each color’s beads in the pattern and add the spare allowance to each one.
- After a few rows, measure how many beads make 1 cm; your tension changes the result by a few millimetres.
- The same color can be hard to match later because dye lots differ. Buy extra of the main color the first time.
- In brick stitch and herringbone the beads sit differently; expect up to 10% difference with those stitches.
Read more
Bead calculator FAQ
How many beads do I need for a bracelet?
A Delica 11/0 bracelet 8 beads wide and 17 cm (6.7 in) long uses about 730 beads; with a 10% spare allowance that is 800 beads, or about 4 g. At 6 beads wide the same length takes about 550 beads.
How many Miyuki Delica beads are in a gram?
About 200 for Delica 11/0, about 100 for Delica 10/0 and about 30 for Delica 8/0. Metallic and galvanized finishes are heavier, so a gram holds slightly fewer of them.
How many beads per centimetre or inch?
Along a bracelet, about 6 Delica 11/0 beads make 1 cm (about 15 per inch). Across the width the beads sit end to end, so 7–8 fit in 1 cm.
Why does the calculator take off length for the clasp?
The clasp and end caps add about 1.5 cm (⅝ in) to a bracelet. Clear the checkbox for a necklace or a band without a clasp.
How do I find the amount of each color in my pattern?
Open the pattern in the BeadDot editor; its materials list works out the count and grams of every color. It is free and you can start without signing up.
Let the editor count every color
Draw a pattern or make one from a photo; the materials list shows each color’s code, count and grams.