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How
to make your bigger beading better–
With our first Bead Fest in
Texas coming this October, my thoughts turned to making bigger pieces.
After all, Texas is known for its grand scale in everything, so why not
jewelry?
I mentioned this topic to my mom, who used to think she
couldn’t wear big beads because she’s petite. She knows better, now. You
do not need to be of a particular physical stature to wear bigger
beads. What you do need is the right attitude and a smile, because
people will turn to admire the eye-catcher you show off. |
10 tips for big, bigger, biggest beads
Making designs with big beads takes a sense of balance and proportion so the big piece doesn’t stray from the OK Corral into Honkytonk Town. Here are ten tips for making a statement piece using larger-than-life beads:
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1: Keep it simple
Choose one large focal bead surrounded by
other medium-sized beads, and limit your palette.
Rain Forest by Erin Strother
Complementary colors and materials
(jade, copper, porcelain, and wood) give the large elements in this
necklace a harmonious and serene presence. |
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2: Choose accent beads that support the scale of the largest beads
String
your large beads with other beads of similar and complementary
substance. Here wooden discs are used to add a nicely proportioned element between the large wooden beads. Try graduating the sizes up to the largest beads. The largest bead here is 2" in diameter.
Wood Disk collar by Leslie Rogalski
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3: Use multiples of small components
Single strands of
seed beads look spindly between big beads. String large beads with many strands of small beads, so the ropes of tiny beads make up in
multitude for the size of the beads themselves.
Ancient
Amber by Ania Kyte
Seed beads may be small, but by stringing up a
bunch of them, you can create rich, dramatic straps to surround an
extraordinary focal piece. |
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4: Choose the proper length for your stature
In this case,
your size should be considered as a component of your overall design. A
really long necklace on me would look, well, see for yourself. Like my
mom, shorter necklaces of big beads work better for me. On the other
hand, with my long neck and short hair, I wear long earrings to fill in
the void between my ears and shoulders.
These clay Buddha beads were on display in Tucson, thanks to Hands of the Hills. Perhaps some beads really are too big!
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5: Choose the right clasp
It pains me to see a great piece with the wrong clasp. For large beads, you must have a clasp that looks strong as well as attractive. In fact, really large beads may scream for a focal clasp up front in your design.
Summer necklace by Fernando DaSilva
The sterling flower clasp is a perfect finishing touch for this strand of faceted pink Peruvian opal nuggets, balancing the scale and complementing the angles of the facets in its shape. |
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6: Wear clear or translucent beads
The clarity of some stones,
glass, and crystals gives them visual lightness. Even larger scale
designs will appear to float.
Hollywood Chandeliers by
Bonnie Clewans use graduated sizes of crystals from 3mm to 10mm. The
transparency of faceted glass or crystal beads adds sparkle not heft to
these 2" long earrings. |
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7: Use spacers between large beads
The detail of spacers helps
break up the visual weight of a string of solid surfaces. Try beaded
beads or spacers for a change. Notice how the translucent resin works to keep this example looking lightweight, too.
Jane and Wilma’s necklace by
Tina Koyama
Peyote-stitched seed-bead spacers perfectly complement
large resin beads in this fun, simply strung necklace. |
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8: Brooches are a great place to go big
Heavier weight fabrics
on clothing such as sweaters and jacket lapels provide a perfect
showcase for a big piece of jewelry art.
Basketweave pin
by Nancy Zellers
This is a fun and easy peyote-stitched pin. The
beaded strips are woven into a basketweave pattern and secured with
glue. This could become a very impressive sculptural piece of jewelry! |
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9: Fill in the gaps
Fill in the visual spaces between
large components for a larger coverage of artwork. Use chain or strands
of fiber or ribbon strung with accent beads to harmonize with the scale
of larger focal beads.
Love Me Tendril by Christi Friesen
Use
swags of ribbon in varied thicknesses to add interesting space-filler
between larger components such as these polymer leaves and buds. |
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10: Fill the space with lace
Keep it delicate but make it
lush. Fill in lots of space around long earrings with a light and airy
lace of filigree and crystals, for instance. Earrings can be bold
shoulder-brushers and look feminine as well as dramatic.
Flamenco
Filigree Earrings by Lindsay Burke. Make an entrance with these
dramatic but airy-looking earrings made from Swarovski crystal
rhinestone filigrees. |
Bring your best big beads to our Bead Fest Texas in October to show off your designs. We’re rootin’ for you!
Happy beading!
