SPOTLIGHT ON ... ARTICLE
September 2006

What to do with leftover beads?
Written by: Charlene Gary

We've all experienced this predicament-You buy a great strand of beads, you put together a lovely necklace, bracelet and earring set. Your finished ensemble is gorgeous, but there are a few beads leftover. This can be frustrating. You don't want to just get rid of the beads, but there are not enough for another project. So what to do with them? I have a few ideas that I hope will inspire and work for you.

I have a large glass mason jar with a secure lid in which I keep my leftovers. After a project, I put the few leftover beads in the jar. In a short while, the jar is half full. I'll pick up the jar and shake it to see what color and style combinations come up. Some of my most intriguing designs have been discovered this way. A design I normally wouldn't think of becomes a beautiful piece!

Share your jar of leftover beads and throw a beading party! Whether for adults or kids, this is a great way to get together and look for inspiration. Whether for a birthday, wedding, anniversary or just to visit, you'll get some new ideas working with your friends, and they can leave with a great gift for themselves, or one to save for a special occasion. Kids can also be a great inspiration for new and unique ideas. They are very expressive, their minds are wide open to all possibilities, and they are not bound by structure that we adults experience when it comes to designing. Take some of your less expensive beads and have a beading party for kids. They have a great day playing and they have something fun and wonderful to take home.

Besides jewelry, think of other unique or unusual ways to use the leftovers. Make a set of wine glass markers, or use them in key rings. Make some thong bookmarks using leather cording from Softflex for the student or avid reader you know. Take a plain wooden picture frame, some G-S hypo cement, also offered by Softflex, and decorate in a funky free way with your leftover beads. I'm sure we all know someone who spoils their pet. Make a distinctive gift for their beloved by sewing some beads into a collar using Softflex Power Pro thread.

Keep your eyes open as the possibility for design ideas using your leftovers can strike at any moment. Keep a small notebook with you to jot down ideas. This is just a start, and I hope it has been helpful.

I've been a creative soul all my life. I've recently started looking at things sideways and found it to be a very unique point of view. It's helped me to try different things, and create new things I didn't think were possible. I enjoy working at my bench at home and showing my pieces at a local artists' shop. You can visit my blog at www.cleverminerva.blogspot.com