How to finish a big beading project…without getting overwhelmed

Today, I want to talk about something that might be holding your beading back. Big projects. Specifically, how to finish a big beading project without getting overwhelmed.

Now, if you’re at all familiar with my work, you’ll know I have made quite a few big beading projects. I’m going to share photos of some of them throughout this blog. But, let me start by asking you this… Have you ever looked at a project, loved it, but been put off because you thought it was too much for you?

I see a lot of people doing this – I’m sure you do too. Awesome piece of beadwork gets shared on social media. The comments are full of praise, but also a lot that go something like this… “Wow! I’d love to do something like that, but I never will :)”

Why is that? It’s usually either a matter of time, or a matter of confidence. Yet, both of these ‘problems’ are actually really easy to fix… if you know how! Which is why I’m here today…

Click here if you want to try the Christmas tree beaded box

How to finish a big beading project…one super-simple trick!

There is just one really, really simple trick you need to know if you’re wondering how to finish a big beading project…

Break it into stages.

In fact, this is a great trick to have up your sleeve if you want to deal with any ‘big’ thing in your life.

Literally, just take it one step (bead) at a time. First step: buy the pattern. You love the project, so just say ‘yes’ to doing it.

Step two: buy the beads (or locate them in your stash) and set them to one side in a bag or box, with the pattern.

So, you have now committed to doing this – you’ve invested money in it.

Click here to try making this special beaded Rubik’s cube…only 26 boxes, plus the structure!

Then, steps three and beyond are the most important. Focus ONLY on one small element of the project every time you bead.

Now, you get to decide how small you go. It could be one row, or maybe one box (in the samples above). It could even be, revising a technique that the pattern requires. Just make sure that it’s realistic for your beading time.

Then, simply forget about the end result and enjoy beading your ‘step’.

By doing that, you feel like you’ve completed a task. So, instead of the overwhelm, you’re crossing something off your ‘to-do’ list.

Getting in the right frame of mind to ‘win’

If you sit and look at the image of the finished project, then compare that to the small part you’ve just completed, you’re going to get depressed. You’re going to start narratives like this: “It just took me an hour to make that tiny thing and I’ve still got all of that to go – I’ll never get there!”

Instead, if you forget the end result, you can focus on achieving each little step. So, your narrative becomes more like this: “Brilliant! I’ve just finished a drawer and I’m really pleased with it. On to the next one tomorrow!”

Before you know it, all these tiny steps will come together and you will find yourself looking at the finished project. Yes, it’s probably still going to take you days, weeks, maybe even months to get there. But you won’t notice that time because you’ll be celebrating ‘small wins’ all the way, instead of focusing on how far you’ve still got to go.

So, next time you see something that you think is going to be too hard, think again. I’ll bet you either have, or can learn the individual steps you need to get there!

And, if that has inspired you to take on a new beading challenge, then check out some of the projects in the beading patterns here.