No matter which of the multitude of beading ideas I am pursuing, I regard patterning as the single most critical aspect of the hobby. A good pattern can cover a huge number of other bead craft design sins, and good crafters will spend a lot of time fiddling with their patterns to get them just right.

In this article, I am going to take a brief look at two sources of inspiration for your bead craft ideas that you may not have thought of. Consider this a test in cross discipline thinking, and it is my hope that when you read these words, your mind will immediately begin turning on the subject, and a full boatload of OTHER ideas will fall into your lap. Even if that doesn't happen though, this is still a ward against the bead craft equivalent of "writer's block." So here goes:

Poetry

Any poem that's not free verse has a rhyme and meter to it. Haiku's structure is 5-7-5. Iambic pentameter has its individual rhythm, and so forth. There're a huge number of rhythms to choose from, and source of inspiration is as close as your nearest volume of poetry.

Take the haiku example. You could construct a pattern around the haiku rhythm, 5-7-5. An arrangement of 5 beads. A different arrangement of 7, and then back to 5. Repeat this around your necklace (or bracelet, or whatever) and you will have designed a "haiku bead craft necklace."

Or if your favorite poem has a funky rhythm like

a-b-b-a

b-c-c-b

c-d-d-c

(repeat)

You could organize a bead craft pattern around that (each letter represents a different element) to striking effect. And, your bead craft project could have an interesting story around it!

Sheet Music

An additional excellent source for inspiration to enhance your bead craft projects is sheet music. Assign one bead element to each note and place according to whatever song you select.

As you please, either ignore sharps and flats or add fully new bead craft ideas elements for them. Begin with something easy. Design a "Mary had a little lamb" necklace, playing with the components until you're happy with the results. Again, an off beat way of looking at the subject of patterning that can enhance the execution of your bead craft ideas in unexpected methods!

*Note: You'll perhaps just want to focus on one line of the sheet music in your bead craft project, lest you create something much too big to be usable! Also note that pattern and medium can, and often will, influence each other! What may work well with semi-precious stones may not be as viable with a wood/metal mix, so there's definitely a bit of experimentation involved! The major thing, regardless of where your inspiration comes from, or what form it ultimately takes, is to stick with it! Persistence and experimentation will almost always win the day!

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