Use this beaded snowflake pattern to make a cute pair of winter earrings. A completed snowflake measures about 1 ½ inches in diameter.
Please remember that you can click to enlarge any image in this tutorial.
1. Gather Your Materials
The completed snowflake earrings.
You'll need size 8/0 and size 11/0 round seed beads for your snowflakes, as well as 4mm Czech fire polished round beads. To save space in this tutorial, I've listed the required beads and supplies on a separate page:
2. String the Center Ring
The center ring of beads.
Cut three feet of beading thread, and thread the needle for single-strand beadweaving.
String six size 8/0 beads, and slide them down to about eight inches from the end of the thread.
Pass the needle through the first bead again and cinch up the thread to create a ring.
3. Make the First Loop for the First Figure Eight
The first loop in the first figure eight of beads, on the bottom of the center ring.
Position the center ring so that the working thread exits the ring in a counterclockwise direction. String one 4mm bead and five 8/0 beads.
Pass the needle through the first of the 8/0 beads again to make a ring. When you do this, curl the beads around in a counter-clockwise direction. Hold the beads between your fingers to keep them in place as you make the stitch.
Pull the thread taut so that you don't see any significant gaps between beads.
The beaded loop that you just created is the first part of a beaded figure eight, which we'll completed in the next step.
4. Make the Second Loop for the First Figure Eight
The second loop in the first figure eight, made just to the left of the first loop.
String one 4mm bead, one 8/0 bead, and another 4mm bead.
Pass the needle back into the center ring of beads, entering through the same bead that your thread originally exited when you began this figure eight. Pass through a second bead in the center ring. (Please remember that you can click on the image for a larger view, which shows the thread path in red.)
5. Begin the Next Figure Eight
The first loop in the second figure eight.
String one 4mm bead and five 8/0 beads, just like you did in Step 3.
Curl the beads around counter-clockwise, and pass through the first 8/0 bead again. Pull the thread taut.
6. Complete the Second Figure Eight
Completing the second loop.
String one 4mm bead.
Pass down through the second 8/0 and the 4mm bead that you strung to begin the first figure eight, and up through the next two 8/0 beads in the center ring. Pull the thread taut again.
At this point, you can start to see the shape of the snowflake coming together.
7. Make the Third Figure Eight
The third figure eight.
You'll complete the next two figure eights using the same technique you used for the second one. String the five beads for the first loop, and then string a single 4mm bead to complete the second loop, which connects the new lobe of the snowflake with the previous one.
The image next to this step shows the third figure eight completed.
8. Make the Fourth Figure Eight
The fourth figure eight completed.
The image next to this step shows what your beadwork should look like after completing the fourth figure eight of beads.
9. Complete the Fifth Figure Eight
The fifth figure eight completed.
The image next to this step shows what your beadwork should look like after completing the fifth figure eight.
10. Begin the Sixth Figure Eight
How to begin the sixth, and final, figure eight.
for the sixth--and final--figure eight, you need to stitch into the first figure eight to complete the circular snowflake.
Begin by passing out through the 4mm bead from the very first figure eight, and then stringing four 8/0 beads (these four are outlined in black in the image). Curl the beads around counter-clockwise, and then pass through the nearest 8/0 bead in the first figure eight.