Bead Weaving: Summer-Inspired Beaded Jewelry Designs

Summer is easily my favorite season. I just can’t get enough of the casual BBQs and lazy pool parties! If you’re looking for a fun bead-weaving project to round out your summer, check out these classically summer beaded jewelry designs. From a beachy bracelet to a 4th of July themed star-spangled design, there’s something to suit your summer style!

Beachy Bracelets

Agnieszka Watts’s Aral Sea bracelet from August/September 2017 Beadwork is undeniably beachy. This summery bracelet combines starfish-shaped components with anemone-inspired links, dangles, and a custom beaded clasp.

Judi Wood’s Beachcomber Bracelet uses seed beads to mimic sand, coral, shells, and plants. It can be embellished with pearls, shells, and flower beads for an even more realistic feel.

Sea Glass Garden by Svetlana Chernitsky uses transparent light sage Silky beads that look just like sea glass. This light and airy design is perfect for summer.

Weave together aquatic blue and green seed beads to create Alice Korach’s Caribbean Sojourn bracelet. Have the beach at your fingertips, no matter where you spend your summer vacation.

Flower Gardens

Mary Tafoya says that her Hummingbirds and Trumpet Vine Cuff Bracelet pays homage to the abundance of summertime. She uses cylinder beads to stitch a pattern of red-orange trumpet vines and tiny hummingbirds like the ones that dominate her neighborhood in the summer.

In her Garden Windows Bracelet, Glorianne Ljubich square-stitches frames from 2-hole tile beads. She then embellishes the frames with crystal bicones and seed beads and fills the frames with delicate beaded flowers. The final effect is a beautiful beaded window box for your wrist.

Lynn Smythe’s Flower Garden Loom-Woven Bracelet intersperses beaded flowers with fun summer critters. A cute bumblebee, dragonfly, and ladybug flit between the blooms of this loomed cuff.

Diane Fitzgerald’s Floral Collage Necklace makes a stunning summer statement. Use a combination of colorful seed and cylinder beads to stitch a pretty bouquet of beaded blooms for your neck.

Lynda Taylor’s Garden Dream necklace is a modern take on a 1950s corsage. Try varying the bead colors to create the beaded garden of your own dreams!

Star-Spangled Designs

Glorianne Ljubich’s North Star Necklace is studded with star-shaped beaded components. Shining rivolis are bezeled in tubular peyote stitch and embellished with crystal bicones and pearls. Coordinating star-motif rings are linked to one another and to the rivoli components for a beautiful celestial-inspired necklace.

Sára Zsadon’s Simple Star Earrings are a quick project that uses only one color and size of seed beads. Stitch one beaded star in red and one in blue for a fast and fun 4th of July accessory!

Barbara Richard’s Peyote Star Earrings are even quicker and easier. With just a handful of size 11 seed beads in 2 colors, you can create a darling pair of dangly earrings. Of course red, white, and blue would be a natural choice for this design too!

Red, White, and Blue

Dulcey Heller peyote-stitched her cute Wish Upon a Starfish project in red, white, and blue colorways. You can use the starfish for home décor or convert them into pendants or brooches.

In Spangled Stars and Stripes, Dustin Wedekind demonstrates how to hide the thread on sequin strips by covering the thread with seed beads. He also shows you how to create sparkly sequin stars. These beaded sequin stars and strips are perfect for embellishing your 4th of July attire!

Although Nancy Zellers originally made her Crystal Tango Bracelets primarily in red colorways, they would look fabulous in red, white, and blue. Stitch up this simple, sparkly bracelet to adorn your wrist for this year’s fireworks.

If you’re in the mood to create beaded jewelry this 4th of July, there’s no shortage of summery projects to choose from. Select a beachy bracelet, a flower garden for your wrist or neck, a star-spangled design, or a red, white, and blue colorway — whatever suits your holiday style!

Happy beading!
Lavon Peters,
Managing Editor, Beadwork magazine

For even more summertime beading, check out these favorites from the Interweave Store!