how do you know what colours and bead shapes will look good together without making it......then having to start over if you dont like it....

im making a bookmark, with wrapped wire.....and the wire wrapping takes a long time, and you cant really take that apart....i started it, then half way through, i figured out it was too short.....urgh!!!

It is so frustrating to put in work on a project, then realize it's not working.  But it happens to all of us.A general rule is if the beads look good together just out on your worktable, you'll probably also like them in your piece.  Try to have an accurate representation of the numbers of beads.  For example, if your work will have equal amounts of two colors, don't group 20 beads of 1 color and just 1 of the other.  You may find that what makes a nice accent won't work in larger quantities. If there will be a lot of wire, or a ribbon or chain, have some of that on the table as well. For a necklace, I sometimes lay out all the beads in order - sort of an unassembled necklace.

Pay attention to the colors you like together in other things, whether the natural landscape, paintings, clothing or anything else.

Most important, remember that any craft is worthwhile as a process - not everything you plan will work out.  But I hope you will enjoy the work, and your design instincts will get stronger with use.

Best of luck to you!

I agree with kippercat - I just arrange the beads the way I think I want them and then rearrange them if I think it's not working.  I do always lay them out in the order I want them before actually putting it all together.  I have been working a lot with chain lately and I like that if I attach a bead and don't like it where it is, I can easily take it off and move it without taking all the other beads off. 

Good luck!

Some of my best pieces have come together by just arranging beads I've recently purchased with those I already have in my collection. I'll buy one type of bead with the intention to use it with some beads I already have. Many times it doesn't look the way I anticipated, so I try different beads until I find something that works.

My advice is not to be afraid to experiment. Good design is all about trial and error.

 There is actually a really simple solution to your dilemma. Buy a bead board. Bead Boards make it easy to measure your design before you string it and it will also let you get a good idea, visually, of what the finished piece will look like.

Here is what our bead board looks like.

Happy beading!

 I know because before I start making it, some object or thing inspired me to make that certain kind of color or beads. Thanks for the link very useful.

I use wire that may have kinked, or that I purchased but did not like, as practice wire.  Just string the beads on to see how they look together, and also wrap the strung beads around your wrist or neck to see how they hang (can't do this with a bead board--and sometimes you'll be surprised at what looks good on the wire but not on the wrist).  I use bead stoppers http://www.artbeads.com/beadstpr.html to keep the beads from falling off the wire.