Beading wire is available in a variety of colors – and when you’re using those pretty colors, it’s a shame to cover them up! In this beading lesson, we’ll give you some ideas for how to show off colored wire in your jewelry designs.

Colored beading wire is a relatively new innovation. The color is applied to the wire strands before they’re coated with nylon. That means the color won’t chip off or tarnish. Here’s a sampling of the beading wire colors that are available today, in addition to the ordinary bright or gray color: gold, silver, black, bronze, blue, green, pink, purple, and red.

The last few colors are called “clear colors” because the nylon coating allows light to pass through and reflect off the bright stainless steel wire. That spark of color makes beaded designs come alive!

One simple way to show off colored beading wire is to string an easy woven pattern. Start with two strands attached to a clasp. Hold the strands together and string a bead, and then string a bead onto each individual strand. Hold the strand together again and string another bead. Repeat this process to string beads onto the wires. You can adjust the spacing so that more or less of the wire shows.

You can also use a simple ladder stitch to show off the color. Start with two strands attached to a clasp. String a small bead onto each wire, then pass the wire ends through opposite sides of a larger bead. This completes one stitch. Repeat the stitch to finish the design. You can add more smaller beads to make more of a scalloped design.

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