Add some flavor to your beaded jewelry and get inspired by Mexican culture!

As we near May 5th, the beautiful celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, we’ve put together some beading ideas inspired by the colors of Cinco de Mayo.

Fashion houses have also been inspired by our neighbor to the south this season with some beautiful, colorful and exuberant beaded jewelry collections for the spring 2013 season debuting at NY Fashion week.

The American Cinco de Mayo celebration originated in the Mexican-American communities of the American West, Southwest, and Northwest in the 1860s.

It grew in popularity and evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, first in areas with large Mexican-American populations. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army‘s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

The colors of the Mexican flag are red, white and green but traditional Mexican folk art uses many bright colors in imaginative ways either through beautiful and intricate patterns such as in colorful fabric patterns or to dramatize important elements in the Mexican American community in murals.

For Mexican inspired designs get ready to work with many bright colors!

We’ve created some fresh new color palettes in honor of Cinco de Mayo! Check them out and get inspired!

The first selection of colors is inspired by these beautiful Mexican dancers’ dresses. With lots of yellow accented by shades of green, pink, blue and white, you too can capture the exhilaration of fiesta!

Mexican-American folk art has a very strong wall mural tradition. Themes are often a combination of Mexican and American culture and history as well as contemporary issues facing the community. The image below is an example of many of these themes. The color palette below was inspired by this mural.

Mexican folk art often makes use of bold colors and fanciful imagery such as these flowering trees below. Use color similarly for bold statement jewelry using the color palette below.

Mexican fabric patterns are also coming into style this season and for good reason! These patterns are both intricate and beautiful and have been made and worn for centuries. Take a look at the next two palettes inspired by Mexican fabrics.

Another Mexican fabric in more contemporary neons below.

Swarovski gem color crystal pearls are perfect for working in this style with colors such as turquoise, coral and lapis.

For intricate designs you will need to work with very small beads such as Farfalle Seed Beads, Charlotte Cut Seed Beads, Cube Beads, Pillow Beads, Pinch Beads or the very small Firepolish Rounds.

Choose a color palette of several bold and bright shades and pair them with a neutral or two, especially browns, beiges or black and white to maintain a balanced look as we did in the color palettes above.

As for designs, well your imagination is the limit! This season, large dangle earrings have been seen all over the runways of New York, Paris and Milan. Use clusters of small beads and dangling dagger beads for the same effect without the heaviness!

One of this season’s big trends is for big, bright, colorful jewelry inspired by traditional folk cultures around the world so get out there and get inspired! Your designs will be not only beautiful but trendy as well!