Tried It, Loved It #1 — Beaded Watercolor Minis (5/5 Stars)

Category: Tried It, Loved It

Hi, I’m Michelle, and I am always getting up to something when it comes to crafts. Some projects make me feel like I’m destin to be the next Martha Stewart (ok, I should spend some time looking into crafters of this decade before you people roll out the big red carpet) and other projects turn out so bad it’s hard not to share them. Whichever the case may be, my projects have one thing in common, my personal twist. Im here to let you know which projects you should jump on and which ones you should throw out with that big tub of journal stickers youv’e been hanging on to for years.

To kick off my Tried It, Loved It series, we’re starting with embroidering and beading basics. 

In my opinion, there is nothing prettier than a beaded garment or fabric—and nothing more tempting than a pack of seed beads while you are browsing at your favorite craft store. The colors alone get me excited to try out a beading project.

The tricky part comes next. Once you get home and get going, reality hits you while you have a handful of one of the tiniest items on earth, seed beads. For anyone with ADHD OR a small attention span, like me, the thought of finishing a tedious beading project may go from excitement to suddenly feeling like a lifetime sentenc. Very dazzling, but tedious, nonetheless. 

I wanted to embroider something so thought I’d compromise: what if I beaded a much smaller (much much smaller and without any sort of commitment to a pattern). What if I just embellished something that was already complete? I had about a thousand mini watercolor paintings around my studio so that was an idea. A tiny painting, perfect. I could add beads and metallic embellishments without a commitment that was way beyond my skill set and my patience. 

Done, done, and done. Hand me my readers and that microscopic needle hole—let’s get going!

▶️ [Insert Image block: HERO CLOSE-UP]

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The Project

It was so gratifying setting the beads and quickly seeing results as an added beads.,The pop of color, the shine, the satusfaction  was there instantly, as soon as they were secured to the paper. The tutorials I followed were clear and beginner-friendly, the supplies were affordable, and everything felt attainable on the first try.

Best of all, this fulfilled desire to create something with  beads, minus the overwhelming task of a full embroidery project. I could make a few minis and actually finish them before my attention span wandered off and I started to reorganize something.

My 5-Star Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Easy to start, satisfying to finish, and no mid-project doom of, “What did I get myself into?” If you love texture, sparkle, and instant gratification, this one’s for you.

If You Try This: 

Here is One Tip I Wish I Had Done

After finishing, I read up on using a stabilizer or batting, behind the paper for stabilization. I didn’t use one this time, but I probably will in the future. It keeps things taut, reduces paper flex while you pull stitches tight, and makes the bead lines look extra crisp.

What I Used

• Canson watercolor paper

• Long white bugle beads

• Black seed bead mix

• Silver metallic thread

• Embroidery needle set (thin and sharp!)

• Mini watercolor painting

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Helpful Tutorials I Followed

• 13 Hand Embroidery Stitches for Beginners (YouTube)

• Embroidery 101: How to Embroider (Instructables)

• Adding Beads to Embroidery Stitches – NeedlenThread

All three get ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me—clear instructions, approachable, and zero tears.

The Final Mood

Beaded watercolor minis are officially part of my creative rotation. Small enough to finish, but beaded enough to notice, and it took a short amount of time without any mess.

If you try this, tag me @madison_viddy_ or use #EmbroideredPainting—I want to see what you come up with!

Or you can always contact me with your projects and I will feature you on the site in the iup and comming community section! Exciting stuff!!!!!!

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