DIY: Wear jewellery more individually

In the last article on bead embroidery, I showed you how to make your own necklace for sunglasses and other items. Now I'm going one step further: for over five years, I've only worn hoops in gold or silver. So that I don't get tired of them, I make various pendants from pearls to give my favourites a different look. Pearl pendants are easy. Shapes such as flowers can be made in less than an hour. The modular system offers countless possibilities for combining colours, sizes and materials.

You need:

• Kreolen
• Beads (approx. 2.2 to 4.5 mm) in various colours and different sizes
• Squeeze beads/metal enamel (craft shop or department in DIY stores)
• silver wire or nylon thread (thickness: 0.4 mm)
• round nose pliers and cutting pliers

Determine the size

To find out how much wire and beads I need, I use the size of my creoles as a guide. It's difficult to find a size that works for you and your model. It's best to make a flower as shown in the following instructions and see how you like the proportions. Adjust the number of beads on a second run if necessary. You will see: This DIY can be realised so quickly that you have enough time to try it out.

Start by cutting a piece of wire rope about 30 cm long with pliers. A nylon thread is also suitable as an alternative to wire. Unlike nylon thread, wire can be pulled through the beads without a needle. It is less flexible than nylon and is suitable for making stiff elements such as these flowers.

Then cut out three different types of beads. You will need two different colours of 2.2 mm beads: one for the large and one for the small flower wreath. The bead in the middle should be larger and have a third colour. However, it can also be attractive if it has the same colour as the outer wreath. The only important thing is that it is larger than 2.2 mm.

Beads for a flower:

• 20 beads in one colour (per petal), 2.2 mm
• 9 beads in a different colour, 2.2 mm
• 1 bead in any colour, 4.5 mm

To form a petal, string 20 small beads (2.2 mm) of the same colour. Before adding more beads, pass the start of the wire through the first bead again in the direction away from the start. If you now pull the wire tight, a round, hollow circle of beads will form. This represents the first petal.

Repeat this five times so that you end up with six petals for the large flower wreath. If you notice that the first petal is not holding, add a crimp bead at the beginning. If you crush it with the round nose pliers, it will replace a knot.

Now string 9 beads in the other colour and the middle bead to form a daisy. You can find out how to continue in this description:

The daisy fills the gap created inside the wreath of flowers. At the same time, empty spaces are left for you to thread the creole through later. I have added a second flower to the back of some variations. To do this, pull the wire through the flower wreath once and create another daisy.

Finally, thread on a crimp bead and pull the beginning and end of the wire through it once. Place the crimp bead at the end of the daisy and pull the wire tight before crushing it using the round nose pliers. Then cut the wire about 10 mm away from the crimp bead. Tie the remaining piece into the opposite beads so that it is neatly tied in.

Depending on how big you want your flower to be, you can reduce or increase the number of beads and petals. You need at least five petals to create a beautiful flower. It is best to hold your creoles against the flower during this process. This way, you can check whether you are happy with the size.

To make the outer flower wreath even larger, you can insert one or two beads between the petals. This expands the hollow space. To do this, first string 20 beads, form a loop and insert a bead between them before continuing with the next petal. For six petals, you will need 9 more beads (in addition to the 20) before you form the daisy.

For comparison: For my gold hoop earrings with a diameter of 25 mm, I opted for a petal with 20 pearls. For the silver hoops with a diameter of 20 cm, I only used 10 beads each.

With a varied interplay of colour, shape and materiality, the flower power pendants create a summer look that is individual and fun. Next time, I'll show you another way to make your own beaded flowers. Follow me to stay up to date and share your results in the comments column. <p