Bead Color Ideas: Coconut Trios

Often beads that look irresistible on the strand can be a bit vexing once they’re in the studio. One way to find the right way to use them is to play with color combinations until inspiration strikes. For this month’s color trios, I decided to search for ideas that would help me put some gorgeous coconut daggers to good use.

The organic appeal of natural beads always keeps me coming back for more, and when I spotted some lovely coconut wood chips at Happy Mango Beads, I just had to have them. Because they’re center-drilled, the perfect method for using them isn’t immediately apparent - apart from some lovely fringe, of course.

I started my color experiment with some earthy colors to compliment the natural beige of the coconut shell. Opaque lime green 8/os add a dash of freshness that could represent spiny cacti or rustling Grass Skirts. The organic swirls and warm tones of brown mix druks perfectly compliment the daggers.

Continuing with a tropical theme, I returned to one of my favorite palettes for cheerful beadwork: Pina Colada. Opaque dark yellow and light blue make a great pair, and the addition of the coconut beads gives them a more authentic look. I can see this trio making a wonderful embellished spiral rope.

The final palette creates a bold background for these unusual beads. Black Forest Flake started with some cherry red white-hearts, which looked fabulous with the coconut at first. The trouble was finding a third color that didn’t clash with either. Playing it safe, I went with shiny jet black, but some green white-hearts would make a great festive palette.

What’s your favorite natural bead? How do you like to use them?

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