Thursday, May 24, 2012

Inspired by Dads

With Father’s Day right around the corner, many beaders are taking on the challenge of designing jewelry for men - and what a challenge it can be. Although jewelry for guys becomes more and more popular all the time, when working with beads, it’s not always easy to come up with pieces that are truly masculine.

Some designs can be made more manly simply by changing up the colors. Rustic tones like black, brown, navy, and burgundy are a good place to start, although color isn’t always an important factor. When I was working in a very manly sporting goods store - cheap Fireline was a great perk! - I once spotted a young man wearing a hot pink bracelet, made from bead-like fishing lures called corkies.


Anchor Cuff Links
by Waxwing Jewelry


Texture and shape are things to consider when designing for men. Simple designs and natural materials work well, like a set of bone and glass beads on a leather cord. On the other hand, silver beads and jewelry blanks can be given a masculine look with the right approach.

To help inspire your Father’s Day projects, I found some fantastic designs, projects, beads, and artwork just for dads.


Monkey Business Bracelet
by Artbeads.com








Rustic Iron Bronco Pendant
from Happy Mango Beads




Piranha Agate Pendant
by Too Fancy Jewelry








Modern Forest Ring Project
by Beadaholique








Pewter Pebble Alphabet Beads
from Auntie's Beads




Fish Tail Braid Tutorial
by Lima Beads




Midnight Tagua Pendant
from Lima Beads




Maybe not...




Upcycled Leather Cuff
by Rainwheel








Forza Necklace Project
by Artbeads.com




Thai Buddhist Takrut Talisman
from Happy Mango Beads




Leather Wrap Bracelet
by Risky Beads


Have you tackled the men’s jewelry challenge? What materials or techniques do you like to use?

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2 comments:

  1. Mr. T,lol. I wonder if his neck was sore at the end of the day after wearing all those chains.
    Great inspiration pics though, like the monkey business bracelet, leather wrap bracelet and Forza necklace. Just bought some of those large hole beads for earrings but may have to make a necklace. Will have to check out the fish tail braid too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Mr. T is definitely an example of a jewelry Don't - but he certainly isn't afraid to wear it!

    ReplyDelete

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