Make a five-petaled flower

Make a pair of five-petaled flower earrings!

Wire together five top-drilled beads to make a graceful five-petaled flower.

Skills needed: use of round-tipped and chain-nose pliers, and wire cutters
Tools: round-tipped pliers; flush cutters; chain-nose pliers
Materials (for pair of earrings)

two 20″ lengths of 26 gauge art wire
pair of earwires to match wire color (can be sterling silver, 14K gold-filled, or niobium, whatever matches best.
eight matching 4 or 6mm pearls or round beads
ten matching beads, top-drilled side to side (briolette style).

Use any top-drilled bead as a petal

Directions: Thread five petals into a length of 26 gauge wire. If the petals curve inward, make sure all petals face the same way. The petals in this example do not curve inward. Cross wire ends, maintain tension so that the petals are in place in a circle. Bend one end of the wire to the back. Bend the other end down the front, and thread on four round beds, in this example, 4mm glass pearls (figure 1).

fig. 1

Bend the wire with the glass pearls into a “U” shaped loop with two pearls on either side (figure 2).

fig. 2

Give the loop one full twist (figure 3).

fig. 3

Position the glass pearls so that they form a square. Stitch the wire end that is behind the work around and between two petals, and thread the end through the gap in the middle of the work (figure 4). Figure 5 shows a back view of the first stitch.

Figure 4.

Fig. 5

Stitch between each pearl. Twist wire ends together neatly, holding the work in one hand and twisting with the other hand (figures 6, front and 7, back).

twisted front, ready for right angle bend

fig. 6

fig. 7

Using your chain-nose pliers, create a right-angle bend about 1-8″ above the petals (figure 8).

fig. 8

Using your round-tipped pliers, make a loop (figure 9).

fig. 9

Wrap the twisted wire end around the stem three times and trim neatly. Open an earwire and thread it onto the loop. Repeat these steps to make the other earring.

Consider the five-petaled flower as an element to embellish a pendant or other wirework piece. Instead of twisting the ends together to form an earring loop, use the ends to lash the piece onto an armature made of heavier (18 gauge) wire in the same color.