Beading Trends: Pastel Bead Weaving Projects with a Twist

Spring and summer 2019 fashion trends include ice cream pastels with a twist: they’re layered with foundations of black, brown, gray and other edgy tones. This is great news for those of us who don’t really do pastels. We can turn the color trend into bead weaving projects and make jewelry that we’ll feel good wearing. Here are a few pastel patterns with a twist to inspire you.

Arabesque Earrings

In Debora Hodoyer’s Arabesque Earrings, you can experiment with the idea of using pastels to create a pop. The dark outlines add a metaphorical and literal edge. Use a variation of right-angle weave and circular peyote stitch with picots.

Pick-a-Note Earrings

These eye-catching Pick-a-Note Earrings by Debora Hodoyer combine several styles of shaped beads with seed beads for a look that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit rock-and-roll. Use circular netting to create the guitar pick shape.

Beadwork Presents: 10 Quick & Easy Bead Weaving Patterns

You’ll find a variety of pastel projects (and more!) in Beadwork Presents: 10 Quick & Easy Bead Weaving Patterns eBook. These projects are great for beginners or for advanced beaders who want inspiration for quick makes using a variety of beading stitches. If you love winged things, take a peek at The Fabulous Brick Stitch Butterflies of Karen Parker blog.

If you’re a pastels person, then it’s probably easy to see how you can work this trend into your beading projects. But, if you’re not quite sure about pastels, it’s okay to dip your toes and make it your own. Take inspiration from these projects and try balancing a pastel with a neutral, such as pink with brown or blue with gray.

Happy beading,
Katie Hacker
Interim Managing Editor of Beadwork

Stock your beading studio with colorful inspiration: