How To Select Colours For Your Beaded Jewelry Projects- It’s Easy!

Here are two simple ways to select colors when making beaded jewelry. Both methods give you beautiful color combos!

Do you often get stuck when it comes time to select colors for a new beading project?

This happens to a lot of people. Choosing colors for a jewelry project can be daunting because there are so many options! How do you even know where to start?

Well, I’m going to break it down for you so that you never have to struggle again. If you’re not naturally gifted when it comes to choosing hues and shades that you want to work with, I have two different methods for you to try.

So, here goes!

How To Select Colors For Jewelry-Making

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When it’s time for me to select colors for jewelry projects, I tend to think of the main one I want to use and then rummage through my bead stash to find complementary hues. I might go buy a few new colors if I don’t already own any I want to work with. Some may look at it as an excuse to buy beads but…

Okay fine. It’s really just an excuse to buy more beads. Anyway… moving on!

Sometimes, selecting various shades is no problem but other times, it can be a challenge especially if the particular project requires several different beads. This is where a color wheel comes in.

What Is a Color Wheel?

The color wheel is a tool used to combine colors and as the name would indicate, it’s round. Of course, personal taste will be a factor when you choose your colors but this tool helps you to select ones that work well together and are pleasing to the eye.

Use the symmetrical shapes in the center of the color wheel to choose your color scheme. Rotating the shapes, changes the combinations but the spacing of the shapes never varies. It is this spacing that results in harmonious color combinations every time.

Different Types of Color Schemes

As I mentioned, there are various shapes in the middle of the color wheel. These shapes represent various types of color schemes that can be used.

1. Monochromatic– Use just one color along with the different tints, tones and shades of that same color.

2. Complementary– Simply put, this is a combination of two colors directly opposite one another on the wheel. The two hues contrast making each other stand out and look more vibrant.

3. Triadic– A combination of three colors evenly spaced on the wheel.

4. Analogous– Use three to five colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.

5. Tetrads– These types of color schemes use four colors arranged into two complementary pairs. Use this combination carefully as the colors can easily look a mess if the proportions are not right. Try using one color as your main and the others as accents.

There are other variations of the types of colors schemes but these are the most basic ones.

Which Color Wheel To Use?

Now, if all of that information just went way over your head, don’t panic. The Dritz Quilting Rainbow Color Wheel Selector makes the whole process really easy. Here’s a video that shows you the tool and exactly how you use it:

Despite the fact that this particular color wheel has the word “Quilting” in the title, it can be used any time you need to select colors.

Click here to purchase a Dritz Quilting Rainbow Color Wheel Selector.

Go Digital

If you’re a little more techy, you can also find digital color wheels online for free. One that I like to use is provided by Adobe. It allows you to select colors and the various combinations that I mentioned above. You can adjust the shades until you find a color scheme that you are happy with.

One extra feature that I like about this particular tool is the ability to create a color scheme from an image. Find a photo you like online, save it to your computer and upload it to the tool. Then, use the picture to create a pleasing color combination. Below, I have a video walking you through the basics of the Adobe Color Wheel.

Selecting colors should be part of the fun of beading, not the step that paralyzes you. Hopefully, the two methods I provided will help you in the future any time you are stumped about what bead colors to choose.

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