How to Sew on Sequins

Adding sequins on can be a sort of nit-picky job, but the result can be very glamorous when you know how to sew them.

Sead Bead Method: Since sequins have only one central hole, it's necessary to anchor them with a seed bead.

Here is a step-by-step approach.

1. Thread a needle and knot the thread. You can use single or double thread; the latter is stronger but more noticeable.
2. Position the first sequin and bring the thread up from the underside of the fabric through the center hole.
3. Pick up a seed bead on the needle.
4. Bring the needle down through the fabric as close as possible to the same place you brought it up.
5. Pull the thread so the seed bead holds the sequin in place.
6. Continue positioning sequins and following the same technique.

• Note: Generally if the space between sequins is going to be more than 1/2" or so, you should knot and cut the thread on the underside, then start again. You don't want a lot of long threads running on the underside of the garment to snag on your fingers, jewelry, etc.

Fish Scale Method: If you are covering a solid area with sequins and are overlapping them like fish scales, you won't need the seed beads, and you can use an ordinary needle.

• Bring the thread up through the center and then down outside the edge that's going to be overlapped.
• As you work, make sure your thread is covered by the next row of sequins.