Bi-color
hybrid tea
rose
by Alice Korach
Create a memento that will last a lifetime
After making the roses for Cheryl gold hank onto the gold wire. To string and make another loop. Twist it about 3
Phelan s wedding bouquet ( Your beads from the hank, unwind the wire times (photo d). Always twist the wire
Work, B&B #48), I wanted to make from the spool for a foot or two (30- in the same direction so you don t undo
more for my niece s wedding. Meagan 61cm), but don t cut it off the spool. previous work. Make a center bunch of
didn t want to carry all those beads, but Straighten the end for about 6 in. 7-10 loops.
she couldn t say no to a bouquet of (15cm). Insert the end of the wire along Cut the wire from the spool about 3
beautiful, bi-color bead roses. the thread of beads from the knot in. past the last loop and twist both 3-in.
I adapted my rose pattern from Vir- toward the bottom of the hank strand lengths together to form a stem. Secure
ginia Nathanson s cabbage rose in The for 2-3 in. (5-7.6cm) (photo a). the remaining beads on the spool of
Art of Making Bead Flowers and Bouquets Carefully cut the thread just below wire with a single twist.
(reissued by Dover). Virginia s rose is the knot. Don t let it drop, but slide it
enormous, 7 in. (18cm) across, and out of the beads that are also on the petals
takes at least three full hanks of beads. wire. Now, catch the end of the thread Make the first 2-3 petals with red beads
Mine is about 31D 2 in. (9cm) across, takes between the middle and index finger of only. The top outer rows of the other
a little more than one hank, and can be your non-dominant hand and lay the petals will be gold or pink and the rest
completed in an afternoon. beaded part of the thread over the space
between the top of your index finger
materials
and your thumb. Slide the wire straight
stepbystep
through the beads toward your thumb " 2Hanks 110 seed beads, red
When making bead flowers, you usually (photo b). You can transfer 3-4 in. (7.6- " 1 Hank 110 seed beads, silver-lined gold
string 4-5 strands of beads from a hank 10cm) of beads at a time this way. or yellow
onto the appropriately colored wire. But Never pull the thread out of the knot " 1 Hank 110 seed beads, silver-lined green
since these flowers have two colors in at the top of the hank, or the hank will " 1 Hank 110 seed beads, pink
most of the petals, you have to string as eventually disintegrate. Always cut away " 1 Spool 26-gauge craft wire, gold
you go. For this flower, make a looped empty threads a bit below the knot to " 1 Spool 26-gauge craft wire, green
center of gold beads, 24-25 petals, 5 prevent their tangling. " 1 Spool 26-gauge craft wire, red if making
sepals, and 10 leaves. Don t cut the wire Slide 7-10 beads about 3 in. from red and pink roses
off the spool until instructed to do so. the end of the wire and form them into " 1 18-gauge Stem wire (I like the thread-
a loop. Twist the wire together about 3 wrapped green ones)
center times at the base of the loop (photo c). " 1 Roll green floral tape
String 1 strand directly from the Slide another 7-10 beads up to the twist Tools: wire cutter, chainnose pliers
of the petal will be red. All petals have
round tops and bottoms.
To make the first 2-3 petals, string 1
strand of red beads onto the wire.
a. Push 3 beads to about 2 in. (5cm)
from the end of the wire. (This is called
the basic or the base row, and it is one
of the two counts you ll need to refer to
as you make beaded flowers. The other
is the row count.) Make a tiny twist at
a e
the end of the wire so the beads don t
fall off. The basic forms the line of
beads at the center of the petal. Keep it
straight as you wrap each petal.
b. Hold the wire in your non-domi-
nant hand, pinching it just below the
basic. Wrap the wire from the spool
around the four fingers of your hand.
Where the wrapped wire crosses the
bottom of the basic, pinch both wires
together with your dominant hand.
b f
c. With your fingers spreading the
loop, begin twisting it toward your body
to twist the wires together. Allow them
to twist together tightly for about 1D 2 in.
(1.3cm), working toward the bottom of
the wire loop. You may have to remove
one finger from the loop to complete
this twisted base (photo e).
d. The beaded wire coming from the
spool is just below the 3 beads of the
basic. Extend the wire at a right angle to
c g
the basic and push enough beads
against the twist to reach around one
side of the basic and meet the wire
above the top bead (photo f). Hold the
wire at a right angle to the basic and
twist the wire once around the wire
above the top bead.
e. With the wire at a right angle to
the top of the basic, push enough beads
to the twist to reach the bottom of the
basic and wrap the wire below the basic
d h
once. To make rounded petal ends,
always enter and leave a twist with tom loop and cut one of the wires below
the wire at a right angle to the basic. the bottom twist (photo h). You now
Counting across the petal, You now have a 4-6 in. single wire stem below
have 3 rows. the petal.
f. Wrap around the basic at top and h. Cut all but 1D 4 in. (6mm) of wire off
bottom until you have a total of 7 rows. the top of the basic and fold the short
Wrap the wire 3-4 times tightly over piece down on the back of the petal.
itself at the base of the petal (photo g), i. Make 2-3 more petals.
then cut it from the spool. For each of the next 3 petals, start
g. Leave 2-3 tight twists in the bot- with a 3-bead basic. There will be a total
i
The third group of 4 petals has a 5-
bead basic and 11 rows. String gold or
pink beads at the tops of the last 4 rows.
Don t measure too perfectly or your
flower won t look natural.
The fourth group of petals has a
7-bead basic and 13 rows. Use gold or
pink beads on the tops of the last 4
rows. Make 5 petals.
The fifth group of petals has a 7-
j o
bead basic and 15 rows. Again, put gold
or pink beads on the tops of the last 4
rows. Make 5 petals.
The last group of petals has a 7-bead
basic and 19 rows. Put gold or pink
beads on the tops of the last 6 rows.
Make 5 petals.
sepals (optional)
Make 5.
String 4 strands of green beads on
k p
the green wire.
Begin with a 15-bead basic as for a
petal. The sepals have round bottoms
and pointed tops.
When you reach the top of the basic
with the first wrap, bring the wire to the
basic at a 45 degree angle. The last bead
on the wrap row sits atop the basic
(photo j). Bring the beaded wire down
from the top of the basic at a 45 degree
angle, positioning the first bead atop the
l q
last bead of the previous row (photo k).
Work a total of 7 rows.
assembling the rose
Cut the stem wire to the desired
finished length of your flower and wrap
it with floral tape. (For a stiffer stem,
use 2 wires.) Start the tape in a ring
around the top of the stem then stretch
it and wrap diagonally down the length
of the wire (photo l).
m r
Place the gold center loops on top of
of 9 rows. After you ve completed the the stem wire and twist the gold wire
first 7 rows, measure the amount of around the stem (photo m).
wire you ll need to go around two more Cup the 2-3 smallest red petals and
times plus about 6-8 in. (15-20cm). You arrange them around the gold-loop cen-
don t want to run out! String enough ter. Twist all the stems together around
red beads to go about two-thirds of the the stem wire (photo n).
way to the top of the 8th row. Then Cup the second group of petals less
string enough gold or pink beads to tightly and tip their tops outward slightly.
reach the top of the basic wire and wrap Repeat with the third group of petals.
(photo i). String about the same num- Arrange the second group then the third
n
ber of gold or pink beads then enough group around the initial bunch. Overlap
red beads to reach the bottom of the each subsequent petal, but when you
basic. End the petal as in photos g and h. place the petal that completes a circle,
tuck its outer edge under the first petal
of the circle (photo o). Twist the stems
together to retain the flower s shape.
Wrap a yard (.9m) of scrap green
wire around the base of the flower.
Make a few wraps after every petal
group to retain the petal placement
(photo p). On the last two groups, wrap
after every petal.
Cup the fourth group of petals even
less and tip their tops outward a bit
more. Arrange them around the flower
and twist the stems.
Repeat with the fifth group of petals.
The 6th group of petals will tip out-
ward the most. When you like the way it
is arranged, twist the stems tightly
together around the stem wire for their
length and wrap the top inch (2.5cm) of
the stem again with floral tape.
Curve the sepals into a rounded L-
shape and arrange them around the base
of the rose. Twist their wires around the
rose stem and wrap with the green scrap
wire (photo q). Then wrap the entire
stem again with floral tape to cover all
the bare wires.
leaves
Make 10 and arrange in 2 groups.
String 4 strands of green beads on
the green wire.
Begin with a 5-bead basic and work
as for a sepal. The leaves have a round
bottom and pointed top.
Work a total of 9 rows. Do not cut
the bottom loop open. Instead, twist the
wires together for a stiffer stem.
Wrap the stems of each leaf with
flower tape and twist them together as
shown in photo r.
Wrap the main stem of the leaves
with flower tape to hide the twists.
finishing
Wrap the ends of the leaf stems
around the rose stem, setting the first
leaf 2-3 in. below the rose and the other
leaf group about 1D 2 in. below and oppo-
site the first.
Wrap below the leaf joins with
floral tape to cover the twists.
Now fiddle with the curves of the
rose petals, sepals, and leaves to make
the flower look lifelike. w
Alice is editor of Bead&Button.
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