Brick Stitch Beading Paper

Q: Is this related to [loom beading paper](/graph-paper/loom-beading-paper)?

Tangentially. [Loom beading](/graph-paper/loom-beading-paper) uses a regular grid because loomed beads sit orthogonally (no offset). Brick is off-loom with offset columns. They're different stitch families that happen to use rectangular grids in different configurations.

Brick stitch beading paper has rectangular cells with alternating columns offset by half a bead height. Each cell represents one bead lying on its side, the orientation produced by brick stitch. Designs charted on this paper match the woven appearance of brick-stitched beadwork.

Print Open

Download generates a crisp vector PDF directly, no print dialog needed.

Choose a different paper size:

Choose a different line color:

Great for

Charting brick-stitch earrings, pendants and pictorial pieces
Native American-style beadwork patterns (florals, geometrics)
Adapting cross-stitch designs for brick-stitch
Triangular or asymmetric beaded shapes

About brick stitch beading paper

Brick stitch shares its name with the masonry pattern it resembles: each bead sits like a brick, lying horizontally with the next row's beads offset by half a bead so they straddle the gap between two beads below. Structurally it's nearly identical to peyote stitch — both are 'off-loom' stitches where each bead is supported by half of two neighbours from the previous row — but the beads are oriented sideways (long axis horizontal) rather than vertically. This produces a subtly different fabric: brick stitch is slightly stiffer and works particularly well for stiff shapes like geometric earrings and triangular pendants. The charting convention differs from peyote: where peyote rows shift left/right, brick columns shift up/down. The same logical pattern looks like a rotated version on the two papers, and patterns are not directly interchangeable between the two stitches. Brick stitch has particularly strong associations with Plains Indian beadwork (where it has been practiced for at least 200 years), and the bold geometric designs of that tradition translate especially well to the brick-stitch chart format.

What's on the page

Rectangular cells (5 mm wide × 4 mm tall) arranged in staggered columns. Even columns align with the page edge; odd columns shift down by half a cell height (2 mm). Heavier accent lines mark every tenth column for counting reference. The grid is centred on the page. Letter portrait holds roughly 38 columns × 60 rows of brick-stitch pattern.

How to use it well

Count by columns, not by rows

Brick stitch is constructed column-by-column (typically), and the chart's natural reading direction is column-major. Identify each column on the chart before tracking individual beads within it.

Triangular and asymmetric shapes shine in brick

Brick stitch handles tapered and pointed shapes (earring tips, pendant points) better than peyote because adding or dropping beads at row ends is straightforward. Design with these shape options in mind.

Watch the starting row direction

The first row determines whether columns subsequently offset up or down. Mark the starting bead and the first-row direction clearly on any pattern you draw; mirror images are common errors.

Pair with [peyote paper](/graph-paper/peyote-beading-paper) for related projects

Many beading patterns work in both peyote and brick stitches with adjusted aspect ratios. Designing in both formats on parallel pages reveals which technique suits the design best.

Common mistakes to avoid

Confusing brick with peyote stitch. The papers look like rotated versions of each other; the stitches produce visually similar fabric but are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong chart paper for the stitch means the design distorts when beaded.
Using square graph paper. As with all bead patterns, square cells don't match real-world bead geometry. Brick beads are wider than tall (5:4 typical); square cells will distort the design.
Counting in the wrong direction. Brick stitch is read column-by-column; treating it like a row-by-row chart (as you would for cross-stitch) produces transposed errors.

FAQ, Brick Stitch Beading Paper

How is brick stitch different from [peyote stitch](/graph-paper/peyote-beading-paper)?＋

Brick beads lie horizontally (long axis sideways); peyote beads stand vertically (long axis up). The fabrics look similar but feel different — brick is slightly stiffer and tapers more easily. The chart papers differ in which direction the offset goes (brick: vertical column offset; peyote: horizontal row offset).

Can I convert a peyote pattern to brick stitch?＋

Rotate the pattern 90°. A peyote chart turned sideways reads correctly as a brick-stitch chart, and vice versa — as long as the bead aspect ratio is consistent. In practice, the conversion is a useful design exercise but the visual feel of the finished beadwork differs because the beads themselves are oriented differently.

What's the relationship between brick stitch and ladder stitch?＋

Ladder stitch is often used to make the first row of brick stitch (a ladder of side-by-side beads). Once that base is in place, brick stitch builds rows by adding beads that straddle each pair of base beads. The two stitches are commonly used together at the start of a brick-stitch project.

What size beads is this paper sized for?＋

The 5×4 mm cells match Miyuki Delica 11/0 beads (the most common cylindrical seed bead) when used in brick orientation. Other brands and sizes have slightly different aspect ratios; for precise design work, verify your specific beads' dimensions before committing to a large pattern.

Is this related to [loom beading paper](/graph-paper/loom-beading-paper)?＋

Tangentially. Loom beading uses a regular grid because loomed beads sit orthogonally (no offset). Brick is off-loom with offset columns. They're different stitch families that happen to use rectangular grids in different configurations.

Printing tips for best results＋

1. Click Print above. A new tab opens the template at exact size.
2. The print dialog appears automatically. Set Scale to 100%. Never "Fit to page", which silently shrinks every cell.
3. Set Margins to None or Minimum so the grid reaches the page edge.
4. For a PDF, click Download instead. It generates a vector PDF directly without going through the printer driver.