Even the best of beaders get stuck sometimes. You know those moments - you want to start a new project, but you've used up all your good ideas.

Well, we have suggestions here on where to look for inspiration. Let us know if they help!

Learn a new technique

Learning a new way to create beautiful works is always inspiring! Do you have a new beading technique you've been meaning to try for a while? Now's the time! However, if you don't have something in mind, browse our techniques to see if there's something you want to try.

Browse art books

They don't have to be beading books to be insprirational! Cross stitch patterns work well for seed bead patterns. Water color techniques work well when creating new color palettes for stringing beads.

Find a magic bead

Does one bead in your collection just sing to you? Is there a bead that you simply must have? Or perhaps after you leave the store, there is a bead that you keep thinking about? Use that as your magic bead.

Or how about the bead you like but have never used? Maybe now's the time to work it into a piece! Find other beads in complementary materials, colors, and sizes to inspire you!

Design for functionality

If you normally design pieces for decoration, try designing for functionality. Do you need a new light pull for a lamp? What about new napkin rings? An eyeglass case? Christmas ornaments are fun to make all year round!

Accessorize!

Pull out those old clothes from the back of the closet and create a new accessory for it! Breathe new life into your wardrobe!

Beads work with just about anything! What about creating a new bracelet that accentuates the color of your car? You can smile at it as you drive.

Play with your favorite color

Imagine a bead in your favorite color and think what you can do with it! There are the jewelry pieces: necklace, bracelet, earrings. How about an anklet? As an accent in a lapel pin? Can you work it into a ring? How about other beads of different styles, materials or sizes?

Think of different cultures or accents.

Inspiration can be as easy as a trip to the museum to see works from other countries and cultures:

• The blues and whites of old Chinese plates;
• the turquoise and silver of the American Southwest;
• the green, gold and orange of Africa;
• the golds of Venice!

Each style is unique to the culture.

Look at others' works

Look at other beading works and find a beginning for your piece. There are many artists' works on the web.

Be careful when you create pieces based on others' works: a fine line separates inspiration from imitation. If your ideas come from another piece , when your work receives complements, give credit to the original designer, too!

Combine other interests

Do you have other hobbies or interests you can draw on for inspiration? Metalworking fits with beading easily. But what about baking? Or gardening? Or skydiving? Or quilting? Or stamps? How might these interests inspire you?

Our favorite: just wander

Wander around for inspiration. A museum always works for us - years of history and art to inspire us!

Designing pieces to match a stranger's taste is often challenging.

And what about wandering outside and using nature's color palette to inspire you?

Last resort

If none of these inspire you, consider one of our projects to get you going! Perhaps something here will inspire you!