https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/free-beaded-flower-instructions • Posted by Craft Cove
This shows how to make a flower with beads and wire using the Victorian method.
This shows how to make a flower with beads and wire using the Victorian method.
Materials: Size 10/0 seed beads 1 x 6mm bead 28 gauge wire Green floral tape Stiff stem wire (optional) 32 gauge wire (optional) Techniques: Victorian Beading Difficulty: Medium
Step 1: Cut 50 – 60 cm of the wire. Thread on 10 beads (4 for first row, and 6 for second row). Take one end of the wire and go back through 6 beads from the opposite end of the wire, keeping them centred as much as possible. Form a circle, by bending the beaded wire backwards, and pulling the wires taut. Try not to leave any space in the wire. Bend both ends of wire to face past the second row. Thread the beads for the 3rd row (10 beads) onto either wire end, pass the other end of the wire through all 10 beads. Bend as necessary, and pull taut.
Step 2: Continue in this fashion, starting from the bottom of the chart. Follow the number of beads per row, (You’ve done the first 3 rows) and bend and pull taut at the end of each row. Don’t worry too much about the shape looking strange at this stage, it will be shaped properly later. After the last row, you should have an almost bowl type shape. If not, smooth it all out, and arrange the rows evenly to create the bowl shape. Twist both wire ends together. You’ve made your first petal. Repeat this exactly the same 4 more times to create 5 petals. Twist all 5 petals wires together.
Adding the centre: Cut off approximately 20 cm of wire, thread the bead towards the centre, bend it in half. Now just place it on top of the petal group, with one end of the wire between 2 petals on one side of the flower and the other between 2 petals on the opposite side. Twist the wires on top of the other wires. If you want a long stem, add a stem wire next to the twisted wires, and wrap around all stems with 32 gauge wire for a couple of centimetres. If you only want a very short stem, the wires all twisted together here should be fine. The stem now needs to be covered in floral tape. To use the tape, you need to stretch the first bit of it to activate the stickiness. Carefully wrap it very close to flower part of the stem, stretch it down at an angle, and twist the stem until you reach the bottom, tear it off, and smooth it out.
Step 3: Making the LEAF Just make one leaf by following the leaf pattern as you did with the petal pattern. Twist the wires all the way down. Use floral tape, as you did before, but just for a couple of centimetres. Use floral tape to attach the leaf to the stem.