COLOR Matching

Some people are naturally gifted in COLOR matching, but some, like myself, often find themselves struggling just to match colors.

We have a dress..say ..a med brown colored one...we find ourselves faced with the daunting task of figuring out what colors of beads and sequins to use on it without having it end up looking like either a gunny sack or a Christmas tree on parade.

The obvious choice of beads colors are perhaps shades of brown, gold, dark yellow..those are the primary and complimentary colors. Then we need some contrast colors to spice up the outfit..this is when we run into some problems. What other colors can we use, either complimentary or contrasting?

We can try to mix and match using whatever beads and sequins that we have in our collection, but unless you're an obsessive compulsive beads hoarder (like yours truly), sometimes you just don't have enough colors to match.

Thankfully, there's a great tool to help us. It's called a COLOR WHEEL (as pictured above but without the top part to select the color). I discovered this handy little tool in Beads and Button magazine a few years ago and have given away soft copies of it to many of my customers over the past few years.

Who would suggest that Mangosteen maroon looks good on brown? I won't but the COLOR WHEEL suggested that it's a complimentary color for brown. Check it out in my unfinished outfit at the top (the story on the unfinished dress itself fits for another post!).


The picture does injustice to the color matching element but the maroon (on the biggest flower) looks really good on the brown..trust me on this because 3 beaders (distinguish ones) have borrowed this unfinished shirt from me for their reference.

So to commemorate the beginning of my blog, I'm giving away the SOFT COPY of the COLOR WHEEL (in PDF). Email me at zaibeads@gmail.com or beadingtreasure@gmail.com to request it. (Obviously only applicable to the readers of this blog).

All you have to do then is to print it in COLOR. Follow the instruction given on cutting this part and that part and laminate it for sturdiness. It comes complete with instructions on how to use it.

May this tool COLOR your way through those back breaking beading hours.