Summer is a wonderful time to make jewelry without turning it into another item on the to-do list. A bracelet can come together between errands. A pair of earrings can be finished in an evening. A new color palette may be all it takes to get you back to your bead mat.
These five summer beading projects range from quick beginner-friendly designs to projects that let you spend a little more time with a favorite technique. Each one can be adapted to the colors, beads, and findings that already speak to you.
Five summer project styles, one bead mat. Shop all supplies below.
1. Coastal Stretch Bracelet
Skill level: Beginner
Time: About 30–45 minutes
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Coastal Stretch Bracelet supplies in aqua, silver, and seaside neutrals.
A stretch bracelet is one of the easiest ways to turn summer colors into something you can wear right away.
Choose aqua, turquoise, seafoam, or pale-blue beads for the main color. Add a few sandy ivory, cream, or metallic spacer beads, then finish the design with a small starfish, shell, sea turtle, or anchor charm.
Try arranging the bracelet in a simple repeating pattern:
- Three aqua or turquoise beads
- One neutral or metallic accent
- Repeat around the bracelet
- Place the coastal charm near the center
This project works especially well with 6mm or 8mm gemstone rounds, Czech glass beads, magnesite heishi beads, or a mixture of smooth and textured beads.
What you'll need:
- Aqua, turquoise, or seafoam beads
- Neutral or metallic accent beads
- One coastal charm
- Stretch cord
- Scissors and stretch-cord adhesive
Explore Ocean & Coastal beads and charms
Shop stretch-bracelet supplies
2. Moonlit Harbor Seed Bead Earrings
Skill level: Beginner
Time: About 45–60 minutes
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Moonlit Harbor seed bead palette for easy celestial earrings.
A good three-color palette removes much of the uncertainty from a new project. For these celestial earrings, we chose deep steel blue, warm light bronze, and a flash of crystal AB.
Featured Palette: Moonlit Harbor
- 11-390: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Lined Steel Blue Luster
- 11-457L: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Metallic Light Bronze
- 11-1001: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Silver-Lined Crystal AB
Thread the three colors onto head pins or eye pins in short, varied combinations. Make several small beaded dangles, then attach them to earwires with a star, moon, or sun charm as the focal point.
The blue provides the depth of a summer night sky, the bronze adds warmth, and the crystal AB catches the light like a small constellation.
What you'll need:
- Three coordinating seed-bead colors
- Head pins or eye pins
- Two earwires
- Two celestial charms
- Round-nose and chain-nose pliers
Explore Celestial & Symbolic designs
3. Botanical Pendant Necklace
Skill level: Beginner
Time: About 45–60 minutes
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Fresh green pendant-and-gemstone pairing for a botanical necklace.
Begin with a leaf, flower, bee, dragonfly, or garden-inspired pendant. Let that focal piece establish the direction of the necklace, then choose a few gemstone or Czech glass beads that echo its colors.
You do not need to bead the entire necklace. A short section of beads on each side of the pendant can add enough color and texture before transitioning to chain.
For an earthy botanical design, try antique silver or copper with jasper, turquoise, olive green, or warm brown. For something lighter, pair a flower pendant with pale pink, cream, aqua, or translucent glass.
What you'll need:
- One botanical pendant
- Four to twelve gemstone or Czech glass accent beads
- Chain or beading wire
- Jump rings
- Clasp
- Basic jewelry-making pliers
Explore Nature & Botanical designs
4. Sunset Glow Seed Bead Tassel Earrings
Skill level: Confident beginner
Time: About 60–90 minutes
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Sunset Glow palette in coral, blush, apricot, and gold.
Seed bead tassels are colorful, lightweight, and full of movement. They are also a good way to work with a palette containing several related shades without making the design feel busy.
For a summer version, draw from the warm corals, pinks, peaches, golds, and oranges in our Sunset Glow palette.
Featured Palette: Sunset Glow
- 11-226: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Dark Coral Lined Crystal
- 11-4207: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Duracoat Galvanized Pink Blush
- 11-1937: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, SF Apricot Lined Light Topaz
- 11-318: Miyuki 11/0 Seed Beads, Berry Gold Luster
Use one color for most of the tassel and introduce the other colors in narrow stripes. You can also make each strand slightly different while keeping the same overall palette.
Finish the tassels with gold or antique-gold earwires for a warm, sunlit look.
What you'll need:
- Three to five coordinating seed-bead colors
- Beading needle
- Beading thread
- Two earwires
- Jump rings or small connectors
- Scissors
5. Rustic Leather and Gemstone Wrap Bracelet
Skill level: Confident beginner
Time: About 60–90 minutes
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Rustic wrap bracelet materials in jasper, leather, and antique copper.
Combine natural gemstone beads with brown or black leather for a bracelet that feels relaxed, earthy, and handmade.
Jasper, turquoise, agate, sodalite, onyx, and howlite are all good choices. Six-millimeter beads are easy to wear and work well for a first wrap bracelet, while 8mm beads create a bolder design.
For the simplest version, place the gemstone beads between two lengths of leather and secure them one at a time with strong beading thread. Finish the bracelet with a button-and-loop closure or an easy-to-use clasp.
The finished piece has the character of artisan jewelry while remaining casual enough to wear throughout the summer.
What you'll need:
- One strand of 6mm or 8mm gemstone beads
- Leather cord
- Strong beading thread
- Beading needle
- Button, toggle, or other closure
- Scissors
Start With the Colors
You do not have to begin with a complete design. Start with three colors that look good together. Add a favorite bead, charm, or pendant, and let the project take shape from there.
That is the idea behind our three-color seed bead palettes: a simple starting point that removes the pressure of choosing from hundreds of individual colors.
Whether your summer style is coastal, celestial, botanical, bright, or rustic, we hope one of these projects gives you a reason to spread out the bead mat and make something of your own.
Shop all Summer Project Supplies
We would love to see what you create. Share your finished summer projects with Auntie's Beads on BeadChat or tag us on Instagram.