A method and apparatus for automatically embroidering beads (14, 16, 19) on a cloth (26). The method and apparatus utilizes a continuous bead string, which is made of a plurality of beads (14, 16, 19) with separable connecting sections (15, 18) arranged in the direction of an axial bore in the beads (14, 16, 19) of the bead string, and sets the continuous bead string in front of the cloth (26). The bead at the end of the bead string is bent and separated at the connecting section (15, 18) a needle (27) passes through axial bore of the bead (14, 16, 19) so that the bead is separated from the bead string and sewed onto the cloth (26).