It's easy to want to add lots of beads to a crochet project because they are so colorful and beautiful. As with all things crochet, the process is easier than the finished project makes it look. Selecting beads with an appropriate hole size is vital because they have to fit the thread that you're using for your project.

Beads have many crochet application, but some beads are not suited for baby garments. Little baby fingers can get into many kinds of stitches and everything that comes off goes into the mouth. With the one and only warning out of the way, we're ready to begin. Decide where you want your beads to go and about how many you'll need. Just place the necessary beads onto the yarn or thread in the reverse order that you'll need them and you're ready to crochet beads onto any project.

As you get to the stitch where the bead goes, feed it up to the hook. Start the stitch as usual and just before the last yarn over, put the bead in place. That last part of the stitch locks the bead in place. This method can be used to scatter clear, shiny beads randomly across the front of a sweater or to crochet beads of the same color around the collar of an evening top. Fancy designs of a lace motif can be accentuated with beads of various colors crocheted onto the motif.

If you prefer sewing on the beads, make sure that you use the same crochet thread so that the stitches don't stand out from the rest. The embroidery half-cross stitch can be used to fasten beads to an area that's very tightly crocheted. Beads work very well on lacy works that are open. Small seed beads go well with the multi-colored thread of an embroidery project. Adding beauty to an embroidery piece with dew in the form of beads on embroidered flowers is a great idea. Or you can add a little black eye to a lacy swan.

The first method mentioned can be used to create a bead fringe when you're crocheting. Make sure all your beads are on the yarn before you begin. You then feed the bead onto the hook when you get to the fringe stitch where you want to place the bead. Make a chain the length of the fringe and crochet beads into each chain stitch and then into each single stitch going back to the row. These methods are elegant, easy and versatile - in other words: crochet.