Tutorial: Floppy Flower Ring In Purple

Today I felt like putting together a tutorial with bead-weaving techniques that are a little more challenging. I've made the Floppy Flower before, but this time I wanted to use colors that gave the ring an overall more lacy feel. I love how it turned out! Below is the list of materials that I used.

Ring Materials:

Size 12 beading needle

Size D Nymo beading thread or FireLine

(6) 4mm bicone crystals (Iradecent)

12mm rivoli crystal (Iradecent)

3 grams size-15 Japanese seed beads for main color (Lilac Blue)

2 grams size-15 Japanese seed beads for accent color (Lavender Blue Gold Luster)

Clear Nail Polish (optional)

Step 1: Begin with approximately 2 1/2 yards of thread with no knot.  Pick up 12 main color beads and go back through them all again from the tail end.  Also go forward through the first bead again to pull the circle closer together.  Leave a 4'' to 6'' tail.

Step 2:  Pick up 3 main color beads, skip the next bead of the original circle and go through the next bead.  Repeat until there are 6 points.  After adding the last point, also go through the first 2 beads of the first point of this row.  This lines up the working thread for the next row. 

Step 3: Pick up 5 main color beads and go through the middle (second) bead of the next point from the last row.  Repeat until there are a total of 6 new points.  After adding the last point, also go through the first 3 beads of the first point of this row.

Step 4:  Pick up 7 main color beads and go through the middle (third) bead of the next point from the last row.  Repeat until there are 6 new points.  After adding the last point, also go through the first 4 beads of the first point of this row.

Step 5: Pick up 5 main color beads and go through the middle (fourth) bead of the next point from the last row.  Pull snug.  This row will start to pull in snug.  Repeat until there are 6 new points. After adding the last point, also go through the first 3 beads of the first point of this row.  Insert a 12mm rivoli crystal into the beadwork and pull snug.  

Step 6: Pick up 3 main color beads and go through the middle (third) bead of the next point from the last row.  Repeat until you have added 6 new points (they won't look like points at this time because the netting is decreasing).  After adding the last point, also go through the first 2 beads of the first point of this row.

Step 7: Pick up 3 accent beads and go back through the main color bead the thread originally exited from on the opposite side.  This will form a picot.  Weave over to the middle bead of the next point of the last row and repeat.  Repeat for 6 picots total.

 Step 8: Weave down to a middle (fourth) bead of the row of netting with 7 beads per point.  Pick up 1 accent bead, a 4mm crystal and 1 accent bead.  Go through the middle bead of the next point from the 7-beads-per-point row.  Repeat until there are 6 of the 4mm crystals.  After adding the last crystal, also go through the first accent bead and first 4mm crystal added in this row.

Step 9: Pick up 11 main color beads and go back through the crystal the thread originally exited form on the opposite side, and also go through the first 3 main color beads of the 11 just added.  Pick up 3 accent beads and go back through the main color bead the thread originally exited form on the opposite side.  This will create a picot.

Step 10: Go through the next 3 main color beads.  Pick up 3 accent beads and go back through the main color bead the thread originally exited from on the opposite side to create another picot.  Repeat one more time.  There should be 3 picots on the 11 main color beads.

Step 11: Weave over to the next 4mm crystal and repeat.  Repeat until there is a loop with 3 picots around each 4mm crystal, creating a total of 6 floppy petals for your flower.

Step 12: With the flower now complete, weave until your thread is coming out of the middle (second) bead of the first row of netting with 3 beads per point.  Pick up 6 main color beads, 1 accent bead, and 6 main color beads.  Go back through the bead of the netting the thread originally exited from on the opposite side, and also go through the first 6 main color beads and the accent bead.  This will form a circle. 

Step 13: Keep making circles following the previous step until the ring band is the desired length. Attach the last circle at the middle (second) bead of the first row of netting with 3 beads per point that is directly across from the point where you started the circles.  Reinforce.  Tie off any remaining threads.

Step 14: This is optional, but because the flower petals are so floppy I lathered them with some clear nail polish in order to stiffen them a bit.

The completed project! :)