Design Basics
Designing beaded jewellery is fun and easy. It allows your own personal style to emerge, or adds an individual touch to designs that have been inspired or copied. When making jewellery designs for other people, always try to include their own personal style and length preference.
Always be open to inspiration from shapes and patterns, either ancient or modern.
Colour combinations can be inspired by nature; look at the colours found together in trees, bark, fish, and animals.
No rules apply. Your beading palette can range from tonal to rainbow creating exceptional beaded jewellery.
Don’t forget if you are going to wear it, only you need to love it!
Jewellery designs can be strung in the following pattern types:
All of the above pattern types can incorporate a pendant or drop/s if required.
Beaded jewellery designs are also governed by the following considerations:
- Length
The length of a jewellery design is usually influenced by current fashion trends, personal taste or specific design requirements; be aware that long necklaces can more easily get caught and broken.
- Weight
The weight of a jewellery design is the preference of the individual wearer; be aware if you wish to wear a design continually, a heavy necklace can be tiring
- Shape
The shape of beads in a jewellery design is governed by the initial choice of beads and the compatibility of other beads to the shape of the original beads. Long elongated beads work well when spaced with smaller round, roundel or oval shaped beads. Spacer beads will also prevent the larger beads from chipping and make them sit neater beside each other