Decorating with Hanging Beads: Using an Old Idea for a New Look

Remember those hanging beads? Well, they are coming back. There are so many ways to use these beads to create a dramatic vision in your home. These beads work well in Mediterranean and Victorian styles, along with both contemporary and modern styles.

Wooden or terra cotta beads would work best with a Mediterranean decoration style. Victorian styles are more formal, and would look great with pastel or pearlescent colors, crystal or even gold. For a modern décor, I would choose glass or metal colored beads and a contemporary look would be complimented best by brightly colored beads. In a provincial room I would stick with soft pastel colors.

You can find a veritable array of colors. Opaque and translucent beads are also available. You can find beads of all shapes and sizes. Some beads have shapes sizes and colors mixed on one string. You can find beads of glass, metals, wood, ceramics, terra cotta, and of course, plastics.

What could you do with these beads?

There are all of the old ideas, like hanging them in a doorway to make a curtain where a door is not available, and that's always cool. Or you can hang them from your ceiling by attaching them to a piece of molding and tacking this to the ceiling. Paint the molding the color of the ceiling so that it looks like the beads are hanging free from the ceiling. This will make a great room divider. It takes up no room, offers some flow between rooms, but still creates a feeling of separation and a feel of semi privacy.

Use your beads for window curtains. Hang the colored, translucent ones at the window and enjoy the colored light that dances around the room as the light is reflected through the beads. Hang the beads alone, close together over the window, or hang individual strands 1-2" apart as an accent over the fabric. This is best if the fabric is a light, solid color, and the beads are a bolder color. Varied sized and shapes of beads offer a real nice pattern. To get the best effect, hang curtain fabric inside the window casing, and attach the bead strands to a piece of molding. Mount the molding on the outside top of the window. Paint the molding a contrasting color, or match the beads. Beads should hang against curtain when all assembled.

Use beads to make a wall hanging and dress up a dull wall. Combine colors and shapes to form unique patterns.

One of my favorite ideas is for the bathroom. Hang a solid color shower curtain at the bathtub. Choose a contrasting color and hang a strand of beads from each shower hook/ring. You want the beads to fall about 2" below the bottom of the shower curtain. You will be surprised at how this dresses up the most ordinary bathroom.