All about jewellery making

:: Sparkling Christmas star beaded decoration tutorial ::

Skill level: intermediate, some experience of using beads and wire is recommended.

This is a good pattern for using up beads left over from other projects. If you do not have the exact list of materials then improvise! You can make small adjustments to the pattern so that you end up with your own unique snowflake. The final piece could be incorporated into jewellery designs or given as a gift to hang on the Christmas tree. Use it as a starting point and see what you can come up with!

Materials

• 34 gauge craft wire
• 10 x size 8/0 translucent seed beads
• small pack size 11/0 clear, silver-lined seed beads
• small pack size 11/0 blue, silver-lined  seed beads
• small pack size 11/0 translucent seed beads
• 5 x 4 mm round beads

Instructions

Step 1

  fig. 1

Cut 1.5m of the craft wire and thread on the 10 size 8/0 beads to form the centre of the star. 

Close the circle by threading the wire through the first 3 beads again as in fig. 1.

Step 2

 fig.2

You are now ready to start form the first ‘arm’ of the star.  Follow fig. 2 and thread on 9 x size 11/0 clear silver-lined beads, then 1 x 4mm round bead followed by 5 more clear silver-lined beads.  Take the wire back through the 4mm round bead in order to form the other side of the ‘arm’.

You have now completed the first ‘arm’ of your star and need to continue around the base circle to make 4 more.

Step 3

 fig. 3

Fig. 3 shows how your snowflake should look once you have completed step 2.

Step 4

  fig. 4

Take the end of the wire that you have just been using and thread on 5 size 11/0 blue, silver-lined seed beads.  Follow the arrows in fig. 4 to create a small ‘arc’ of blue beads.  Continue pushing the wire through until it comes out at the next bead but one as shown in fig. 4.

Repeat 4 more times.

Step 5

 fig. 5

Fig. 5 shows how your snowflake should look once you have completed step 4.

Step 6

 fig. 6

Thread your wire through so that it comes out via the third bead of the blue ‘arc’ you have just created.  Now thread on 12 size 11/0 translucent seed beads taking the wire up to the 4mm round bead and wrap it round a couple of times just below it as shown in fig. 6.

Thread on another 12 size 11/0 translucent seed beads and take the wire down through the third bead in the next blue ‘arc’.  Following the diagram thrad the wire through the remainder of the ‘arc’ and along one bead of the base circle before bringing it back up through the third bead of the ‘arc’ - this circle of wire strengthens the star overall and gets the wire to the correct place for completing the next ‘arm’.

Repeat this step until you have gone all the way around the star.

The main structure of the star is now complete.

Step 7

  fig. 7

Fig. 7 shows how to create the blue tips that I have added to my example. I added each one individually although you could produce a similar result by incorporating them earlier in the design as an integral part of the ‘arm’.

Step 8

 fig. 8

Finish off wire ends by binding around the core wires between 2 beads. Trim closely for a neat result.

Your beaded star is now complete!

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