How to Make a Bead and Wire Flower

This wire flower with beaded center is great for adorning greeting cards and envelopes, and for embellishing gifts. It’s also a neat way to use beads left over from other projects.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire suitable for beading that retains its shape when bent (florist's wire works really well). The wire must be at least 12 inches long (30 cm)
• 15 Beads
• Pliers to bend and cut the wire
• Pen
• Project glue

1. 
    
   Thread the beads

   Thread the beads onto the one end of the wire.

2. 
    
   Form a circle

   Form a circle with the beads by joining and twisting the two pieces of wire together. You can use the pliers to secure the circle. Take care not to force the beads together too tightly as you still need space to insert the wire petals.

3. 
    
   Make the petals

   The petals are made by forming semi-circular shapes with the wire. Start off by taking the long piece of the wire and make a semi-circular shaped petal that spans the first three beads (follow the direction of the blue arrows). Secure the petal in place by looping the petal’s wire underneath the wire that holds the beads and in through the center of the circle of beads. To make the flower even more secure, complete another loop of the wire like you have just done. Pull the wire firmly into place with the pliers.

4. 
    
   Continue making petals

   Continue around the circle to form the rest of the petals.

5. 
    
   Use a pen to shape the petals

   When making the petals, it is easier to form them around a circular template such as a pen. This will help to form the petal shape and to ensure all the petals are the same size.

6. 
    
   Form the stalk

   Once you have completed the petals, use the pliers to curl the end of the wire piece into a fashionable stalk or leaf. Cut off any excess wire.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that you keep the number of beads corresponding to each petal the same. For example, if you have 20 beads and you want 5 petals, each petal should cover the distance of 4 beads.
• Give the flower more of a 3-D effect by gently lifting or twisting the petals; the wire will retain the petal shape.
• Use acid free glue that dries clear to glue the flower to cards, envelopes or gifts.
• Make the flowers as large or as small as you wish by increasing or decreasing the number of beads and length of wire.