Bead Color Ideas: Fall Marigold

Of all the wonderful colors and shapes that remind us of fall beauty, is there any more charming than a plump orange pumpkin? Whether they’re in cute and crafty kids decorations, elaborately carved, baked in a pie, or dressed up for a chic Thanksgiving table setting, pumpkins are almost always cheerful.

Now that the back-to-school season is behind us, and it’s about time to start planning Halloween costumes, I wanted to explore some fun color palette ideas with a focus on pumpkin orange. I started with the most adorable carved bone rounds from Happy Mango Beads. Dyed a bright marigold with vertical stripes, they stand in perfectly for pumpkins. The challenge would be to create memorable seasonal palettes that aren’t too Halloween-y.

I started with an easy contrast - purple lined Rosaline. The purple is vibrant and lively, making it a perfect match for the zingy orange. To add even more light and a bit of balance, I completed Putting Up Preserves with some juicy transparent cherry. Although this palette is very fruity, the presence of orchard - and not tropical - colors makes it ideal for autumn.

Next I tried some jet black, which really enhances the bright orange. Since it’s so light, the combination is still far from ordinary, and I thought it would be safe to add some olive green. I love the mossy quality of this shade, and it goes so well with other earthy hues. As a trio, these colors are very organic, like Carving a Pumpkin straight out of the garden.

For the final palette I included some additional accent beads. I couldn’t resist the seed-pod shape of turquoise Rizos, which also contrast beautifully with the orange bone beads. While picturing the drops in wheat sheaf clusters, I added some warm and sunny transparent topaz to create Bailing the Hay.

What are your favorite combinations for orange?

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