Craft Tip #2: Choosing Colors

An important part of creating a work of art is choosing which colors to use. Often, certain colors work better together than others. Choosing which combinations to use can be tricky, but here are a few tips to make the choice a little easier:

There are twelve basic hues:

Color Schemes:

1. Monochromatic: combining lighter and darker hues of the same color.









2. Analogous: combining three or four adjacent colors on the color wheel.











3. Complementary: combining any two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel.











4. Triadic: combining three equally spaced colors, in the form of a triangle.











5. Split Complementary: combing complementary and triadic schemes (choose a color plus the two colors closely adjacent to it).






Image Source: Color Theory

Craft Tip #1: How to Thread a Needle

The most basic skill that every beader/embroider needs to know is how to thread a needle.

Here's how:

1. Choose your thread. If your thread is too big, it's not going to fit through the eye of the needle!

2. Choose a needle. Make sure the needle is big enough to fit the thread but not so big that it creates large holes in your work.

3. Cut the thread at an angle. If you cut the thread straight, then the fibres will most likely come apart when you try to pass it through the needle.
                                                   
4. Hold the thread STEADY. If your hands are shaking, the thread will shake too.

5. Thread the needle. Hold the needle between your thumb and your forefinger and pass the thread through the eye of the needle. You may also want to wet the tip of the thread to make it easier.