Sunday, August 28, 2011

Beading Ideas! - 5 Ways to Boost Your Creativity

By Rogan Joss


Are you in a creative rut? Inspiration all dried up? Or maybe you're just looking for some new ideas to keep both inspiration and interest up! If any of those apply to you, then you've come to the right place! Below, you'll find 5 beading ideas that might help kick start your imagination and get you creating again!

I'm writing this list with beaded necklaces in particular in mind, but the ideas presented here could be easily adapted to most any project you have an interest in. That's one of the great things about bead craft as a hobby! Its sheer versatility. You can spy an idea that has been executed in one way (say, a ceiling fan pull chain), and with a little work and modification, easily transform it into something entirely new and different (a bracelet, necklace, or even a matched set!).

1 - If you've fallen into the habit of making single strand designs, branch out into fun multi-strand or wrap designs for a fresh perspective! Multi-strand designs add layers of complexity to your work, and can turn a rather ordinary single-strand piece into something truly extraordinary. It's a little trickier to pull off, but you could even try a "hybrid design," one that starts off (at the clasp) as a single strand, branches out into a double, or perhaps even a triple, and then, as it winds its way around the neck, re-converges.

2 - Commit yourself to incorporating a color or style of bead you don't normally use into your next design. This can be as simple as looking through your existing stock for those beads you generally "pass over," or taking a road trip to your local bead shop to see what's new!

3 - Try something exotic! How about using some decorative Czech glass beads or Swarovski crystals in your next piece? This could take you in all sorts of new and different directions! (note: this can also get a little expensive, so use with care!)

4 - Commit yourself to learning a new technique (i.e., "African Net") this month! Anything that breaks up your "usual" way of doing things is bound to spark a slew of ideas! - There's an almost unending number of techniques to be learned, and every time Christina and I think we "know it all," we find something new to try!

5 - Instead of stringing your next piece, investigate chains, and find ways to affix your designs onto gold or silver chains for a completely new look! - This takes the notion of "mixed medium" to the next level!

As the five tips above demonstrate, there are all sorts of things you can do, all sorts of new ways of looking at even existing beading ideas, to break out of a creative run, and these are really just the tip of the iceberg!




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