Flower Earrings
(©2009, updated 2018 Deborah Roberti)
I have updated my free Flower Earrings pattern so that they are a little stiffer, have a prettier attachment to the jump ring and also work with 6mm Czech 2-hole cabochons instead of 6mm round beads in the center.
Materials:• about 2 yards of 6 lb. FireLine
• two 6mm round beads (or two 6mm Czech two-hole cabochon beads--see end steps)
• about 140 size 11/0 seed beads (Miyuki rocaille brand preferred)
• 34 size 3mm fire-polished beads
• two small (2-4mm) jump rings
• a pair of ear wires, or whichever type of earring finding you prefer
• two 6mm round beads (or two 6mm Czech two-hole cabochon beads--see end steps)
• about 140 size 11/0 seed beads (Miyuki rocaille brand preferred)
• 34 size 3mm fire-polished beads
• two small (2-4mm) jump rings
• a pair of ear wires, or whichever type of earring finding you prefer
STEP 1: Thread your needle with about a yard of FireLine.
String a round bead and eight seed beads.
Leaving about a six-inch tail, go around the right side of the round bead and back up through the round bead. Pull tight:
NOTE: You will not be making a knot so keep the tension tight and hold onto this tail thread for now.
Step 2: String eight more seed beads. Go around and back up through the round bead so that this set of eight seed beads is on the left side of the round bead. Pull tight:
Step 3: Go back down through the eight seed beads on the right side of the round bead that you added in Step 1:
Step 4: Go back around through the nine seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 5: Go all the way back around through the ring of ring of sixteen seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 6: String a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead and a fire-polished bead.
Go around and back across through the two seed beads on the ring (highlighted in RED) to form your first "petal":
NOTE: To guarantee that the earring lines up right upon completion, you do want to make sure that you go through those two seed beads highlighted in RED--one seed bead on each side of the round bead hole.
Step 7: Go back around through the beads that you just added (highlighted in RED):
Step 8: Go through the next two seed beads on the ring of sixteen seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 9: String a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead.
Go around and back down through the fire-polished bead that you added in Step 6 and back through the two seed beads on the circle of sixteen seed beads that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED) to form a second "petal":
Step 10: Go back around through the beads that you just added (highlighted in RED):
Step 11: Go through the next two seed beads on the ring of sixteen seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 12: String a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead.
Go around and back through the fire-polished bead that you added earlier and back through the two seed beads on the circle of sixteen seed beads that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED) to form another "petal":
Step 13: Go back around through the beads that you just added (highlighted in RED):
Step 14: Go through the next two seed beads on the ring of sixteen seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 15: Repeat Step 12 to 14 four times to create four more "petals":
Step 16: Go up through the fire-polished bead highlighted in RED:
Step 17: String a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead.
Go around and down through the fire-polished bead, across through the two seed beads on the circle of sixteen seed beads and up through the fire-polished bead highlighted in RED:
Step 18: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED:
Step 19: Go back through the seed bead highlighted in RED:
Step 20: String four seed beads.
Go around the fire-polished bead in the first petal and through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 21: String four seed beads.
Go around the fire-polished bead in the next petal and through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 22: Repeat the last step six times:
Step 23: Go up through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 24: String a fire-polished bead and a seed bead.
Go through your jump ring and then back down through the fire-polished bead and seed bead that you just strung.
Continue down through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 25: Go back around through the seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 26: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED and the jump ring:
Step 27: Go back around through the seed beads highlighted in RED:
Weave your way back into your earring, knot and cut your thread. Thread your needle with the tail from Step 1, weave your way into your earring, knot and cut your thread. Attach your earring finding to the jump ring.
Czech Two-Hole Cab Version
Instead of 6mm round beads, you can use 6mm Czech two-hole cabochons. Just replace Step 1 to Step 5 with the following steps.
Step 1: Thread your needle with about a yard of FireLine.
Leaving about a six-inch tail, go up through the left hole of a 6mm Czech two-hole cabochon. String two seed beads. Go around and down through the right hole of this same cabochon:
NOTE: You will not be making a knot so keep the tension tight and hold onto this tail thread
for now.
for now.
Step 2: String two seed beads and go up through the left hole of the cabochon. Go across through the two seed beads that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):
Step 3: String six seed beads and go across through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 4: String six more seed beads and go across through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 5: Go all the way back around through the ring of ring of sixteen seed beads highlighted in RED:
Continue on with Steps 6 to 27.
