Design Beaded Jewelry with Patterns

Beginning jewelry makers often start out making jewelry by following instructions, such as many of the free projects on this site. This is understandably a safe place to begin and practice jewelry making techniques. Eventually, though, even beginners are eager to step into the world of jewelry designing so they no longer have to copy designs but instead can invent their own.

As a way to help beginners get started designing their own beaded creations, Janice Parsons from Beadshop.com has developed, "The Secrets of Perfect Patterning," ($12.95) a downloadable handout for sale through the Beadshop.com web site (look under the Tips section). This nine page virtual design class also includes instructions for making the necklace pictured on the front page, so actually, it is a combination how-to design and necklace project instructions all in one.

Parsons' approach deals with creating various patterns of beads using basic stringing methods as a way to explore different design possibilities. She explains the types of beads she suggests starting with, gives a basic number of beads of each type to have on hand, and then gives some very simple instructions for attempting different bead patterns.

Not every jewelry maker has the same approach to jewelry designing, but especially for beginners, it can be helpful to explore different methods until you find one that works for you. "The Secrets of Perfect Patterning" might be a good place for novice jewelry designers to begin.