Tips for Winning Beading & Jewelry-Making Competitions

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The new Interweave Bead Arts Awards is open for entries now until June 16, 2023. The grand prize is $750 cash. We’re also offering a $250 prize for three category winners, plus $50 gift cards for four honorable mentions. All winners will also be featured on Interweave.com and at Bead Fest in Lancaster, PA, in August 2023.

We’d love to see your beautiful beadwork in this jewelry-making competition! No matter what your level of experience, we hope you’ll share your best with us.

Tamara Honaman, Interweave Director of Content says, “We are so excited to kick off this contest, and I’m honored to be on the panel of judges this year—it’s like having a front row seat on the red carpet. As you plan your entry, I wanted to share a little insight as to what I’ll be looking for from you. I love to see designs that are new and different—different from what’s currently trending and maybe, different altogether—so think outside the box!”

5 Tips for Winning Beading & Jewelry-Making Competitions

Enter your best work, with design originality and careful craftsmanship. Details really do make the difference.

Read the entry rules and guidelines and follow them to the letter.

Make sure your photographs show your beading or metalwork in the best possible way.

Seek support from your online community. Even though you can’t share photos of your submissions before they’re judged, you can let people know you’re working on a contest submission and ask for their input about colors, techniques, and more.

Enter more than one piece to increase the possibility that your work will catch the eye of the judges.

Tamara advises, “Quality construction is paramount. In beading, this would mean no loose or stray threads, no missing beads in your pattern, and a pleasing color palette. Wearability is also a factor for any jewelry design—that isn’t to say you can’t have an avant-garde flair. Most importantly, enjoy the process as that will shine through—no matter what you create.”

Contact Interweave Competitions at craft-competition@goldenpeakmedia.com

Originally published 1/13/2020; updated for 2023’s Bead Arts Awards.

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