How to Make Indian Bead Earring Designs

Segmented plastic boxes like this one are a great way to store your beads.

Beadwork is one of the most beautiful forms of Native American arts and crafts. Beadwork can be simply addicting if you have the proclivity for it, and you will develop the skills to make gifts for people or to sell. There are many different styles of beadwork and many different types of beads on the market. The kind of beads this design uses are known as "seed beads". The style of beadwork is known as a rosette. It's a very simple design that anyone can do.

Things You'll Need

• Four different colors of Size 11 beads
• Baby lap pads or crib-lining material
• Size B nylon beading thread
• Size 12 beading needles
• One pair of hook-style earring wire
• Scissors
• Small piece of poster board
• All-purpose white glue
• Small piece of leather
• Needle-nose pliers

Instructions

The Body

1. Cut a square piece of the baby cloth approximately 3 inches by 3 inches.

2. Cut a length of beading thread about half a yard and thread the needle. Tie a double or triple knot at one end of the thread.

3. Start your first stitch by centering the needle in the middle of the cloth you've cut on the underside and bring the threaded needle to the top side.

4. Place one bead on the needle and tack it down by bringing the needle back down through to the underside.

5. Bring the needle back up to the top side again, right next to the bead. Place two beads of the same color on the needle and tack down again, bringing the needle back up to the front side.

6. Continue this way until you have eight beads circling the center bead. This is your first row. Bring the needle back up to the top next to your first row and begin your second row. For this next row you will introduce another color.

7. Place approximately 10 beads on the needle, alternating the two colors. For example, if you are using blue and purple, the pattern is blue, purple, blue, purple until you have completed the row. Tack down the thread between every third bead. Begin the next row by using only the color you introduced in your last row. You will continue implementing this pattern with the colors until you finish with your fourth color.

Assembly

1. Cut excess cloth away from your last row of beads. Cut as close to the beads as you can without cutting into your tack-down stitches.

2. Cut the poster board into a circle approximately a quarter-inch smaller than the body of the rosette and glue onto the back side of the rosette. This gives the beadwork rigidity.

3. Cut the leather exactly the same size as the rosette and glue over the poster board, ensuring all edges are glued tightly together.

Edging

1. Thread the beading needle and stick it through the back side where the leather is. Coming up and out through the top edge of the beadwork, place four beads onto the needle (using any color pattern you choose).

2. Stick the needle through the back side and bring up through the last bead of your last stitch.

3. Place three beads on the needle and tack down the same way, bringing the needle back up through the last bead. Continue this way until you come full-circle. Tie off with a simple square knot.

4. Attach earring wire by bending the looped end open and passing it through one of your edge stitches, and close the loop.

Tips & Warnings

• I have found from my many years of beading that baby lap pads are the best material for beading onto. If you can't find this type of cloth, use felt.

Resources

• "The Technique of North American Indian Beadwork"; Monte Smith; 1983.
• "Authentic American Indian Beadwork and How to Do It"; Pamela Stanley Miller; 1985.