3-D Beaded Daffodils

This Content Created by Emily Hackbarth

These 3-D beaded flowers work up to be around an inch across and I think they would make really neat post earrings. I'm sure you can think of some additional uses as well. You will need to be familiar with both flat and tubular brick stitch to follow these directions successfully. What You Will Need Yellow Nymo size D White Nymo size A Size 12 needle Yellow size 11 seed beads White size 11 seed beads

First we will make the bell in the center of the flower. Using yellow nymo, make a base row of 12 yellow beads and add one more row of 12. On the third row we need to start decreasing to form the bell shape. Add the first 3 beads in the row normally. Then do a decrease stitch by picking up a bead, skipping the 4th thread in the row below and going under the 5th one. Go back up through the bead you added. Add two more beads normally, then a decrease stitch, then add 2 more beads normally. Close up the row skipping the last thread in the previous row. This acts as a third decrease. You should end up with 9 beads in this row.

In the 4th row we also have 3 decreases but since we start with only 9 beads and want to get down to six, every other stitch is a decrease stitch. So start with two beads, go under the third thread and back up through the second bead you added. Add one normal stitch, one decrease, one normal, one decrease and close the row. Weave your thread into the work to secure it and snip.

Now we'll start adding petals. Thread your needle with white thread and weave it into the work to secure. Then weave up and out of one of the beads in the six bead row you just completed. Pick up two white beads and go back down through the yellow bead your thread is coming out of. Then go up through one of the white beads you added. This forms a 2 bead base row to begin your petal. Increase in the next row to 3, then to 4 and then 5. Then decrease back to two.

Pick up one more bead and go through the bead in the previous row that your thread is not coming out of. Continue down through the beads along the edge of the petal, up through the beads in the opposite edge, through the point bead and down through the first side again. Pull the thread tight, and it should cause the petal to cup up into the 3D petal shape. Go down through the yellow bead your petal is attached to and up through the one next to it to get into position to add your next petal.

Once you have added a petal to each of the six yellow beads it's time to connect them together in order to get them to lie right. Stitch the bottom 3 edge beads of each petal to the bottom 3 edge beads in the petal next to it by beginning with your thread coming out of the bottom of the lowest edge bead of one petal and going up though the lowest edge bead of the second petal. Then go down through the lowest edge bead on the first petal again and up through the lowest edge bead and the one above it in the second petal. Then go down through the 2nd bead up on the first petal and up through the 2nd and 3rd beads on the second petal. Then down through the 3rd bead up on the first petal and up through the 3rd bead up on the second petal. Sew down diagonally through the second petal to get to the second base bead of that petal. Then you are in position to sew the second petal to the third. Continue around the flower attaching the petals together.

Finally, to add a pistil, go down through the yellow bead at the base of your last petal so that your thread is going through the hole in the center of the flower. Pick up 4 yellow beads, skip one and go back through the other 3. Then go through the yellow base bead opposite of the one you left. Weave your thread into the work to secure and snip.