Kinds of bead pattern tools
| Kind of tool | Good | Not so good |
|---|---|---|
| Graph paper or a spreadsheet | Free and always at hand | Peyote and brick offsets are hard to draw by hand; bead counts and color codes are manual |
| Desktop software (e.g. BeadTool) | Many stitches, works offline | Usually paid, installed on one computer, not with you on your phone while you stitch |
| Phone apps | Always in your pocket | Drawing on a small screen is tiring; many are paid or have ads |
| Browser tools (e.g. BeadDot) | Nothing to install; draw on a computer, stitch from your phone | Need an internet connection; the stitches they support can be limited |
Detailed comparisons with specific tools: BeadTool, Beadographer, PlanBead, BeadApp and MakeBead.
What to look for
- Stitch support. Peyote and brick stitch rows sit half a bead apart, and the tool has to draw that offset. Not sure which stitch you need? See peyote vs brick stitch vs loom vs herringbone.
- A real color catalog. Miyuki Delica DB codes, TOHO or Perler colors should be built in, or you will match every color by hand.
- Materials list. It should count the beads and grams you need of each color.
- Photo to pattern. It should turn a photo or drawing into a bead pattern.
- Help while stitching. Once the pattern is done, it should show which bead comes next and remember where you stopped.
- Output. A printable PDF or a word chart.
- Price and ads. Does the free version let you save, and does it show ads?
What BeadDot does
BeadDot is a free, ad-free bead pattern studio that runs in the browser. You can start as a guest without signing up.
- Stitches: peyote (including diagonal peyote), brick stitch, loom, herringbone and Perler/Hama pegboard patterns.
- Colors: Miyuki Delica 11/0, TOHO Treasure 11/0, Perler and Hama catalogs, with the closest matches for every color.
- Photo to pattern: turn a photo into a loom, peyote or Perler pattern.
- Ready-made tools: a name bracelet pattern generator and a bracelet pattern maker that repeats a motif along the wrist.
- While stitching: follow mode goes row by row and saves your place; on phones the screen stays on.
- Output: a color-coded PDF, materials list, word chart and a 3D bracelet preview.
- Ready patterns: a free pattern gallery; copy any pattern into the studio and change it.
How to turn a photo into a bead pattern
- Pick an image with a plain background and strong contrast; fine details get lost in beads.
- Choose a width of 7–15 beads for a bracelet or 20–40 for a figure.
- Limit the colors: 6–12 keeps the pattern readable and the bead budget low.
- After converting, fix single stray beads by hand, especially on faces and lettering.
- Check the materials list against your inventory to see which colors you are missing.