Seed Bead Inspiration

Difficulty: 3
Designer: Jaroslava Růžičková
Technique: Herringbone Stitch, Peyote stitch

Mixed seed bead sets

This simple guide to creating costume jewellery sets (a necklace, bracelet and earrings) will enable you to try the individual types of seed bead stitches in their circular variants. In this case, we have chosen a highly effective stitch known as the “herringbone stitch”: this stitch has been shown to be especially effective when used in a coloured seed bead mix which you can create yourself by mixing together suitable leftover beads. A round wooden bead is used as the basis for the earring bead: a seed bead cover is created around it using a combination of the so-called peyote and herringbone stitches.

Procedure

The necklace and bracelet
The dimensions of the necklace and bracelet may be designated according to your personal needs, but the standard length for a bracelet is 41,5 cm and 18 cm for a bracelet, when measuring the length of the actually bead product without the metal parts. As such, measure 40 cm of cord for the necklace and 17 cm of cord for the bracelet.

Step 1

Designate the number of seed beads for the basic ring according to the width of the cord. In our case, we have started with 5 seed beads.

 

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Step 2

In the second row, insert two seed beads between each seed bead in the basic ring and pass the thread through the next seed bead from the basic ring.

 

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Step 3

It is necessary to sew through two seed beads in order to start the next row: the last seed bead in the previous row and the first seed bead in the new row.

Continue adding two seed beads per stitch in the following rows. Each stitch must be well tightened and formed into the shape of a tube. The number of rows depends on the required length of the tube.

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Step 4

In the last row, string individual seed beads instead of the pairs of beads. As such, five seed beads will be left in the last row as in the basic ring (figure no. 4a). Pass the thread through them again, pull it tight and finish with a strong knot (figure no. 4b).

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Step 5

Use the thread to affix the caps, rings, snap hooks and the chain.

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Step 6

The earrings

The basis for these earrings is a round wooden bead with a sewn seed bead cover. It is important to carefully adhere to the procedure in the individual rows. When sewing different sizes of wooden beads to those stated in this guide, it is necessary to change the number of seed beads in the 1st row: to 4 seed beads if smaller or to 6 seed beads if larger. It depends, however, on the size of the rocailles.

1st row: string 5 rocailles and tie them in a circle with a surgeon’s knot.

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Step 7

2nd row: string 1 rocaille and pass the thread through the nearest rocaille from the initial row: repeat this procedure 5x and at the end of the row pass the thread through the first rocaille in this row. (If you omit the stringing of the 1st rocaille, spirals will be created instead of horizontal rows. There are, therefore, greater options for working further magic with colours and patterns on the bead hidden under the peyote stitch).

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Step 8

3rd row: string 2 rocailles and then pass the thread through the nearest rocaille from the previous (2nd) row: repeat this procedure 5x and at the end of the row pass the thread through the first rocaille in the row – there are a total of 10 seed beads in this row.

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Step 9

4th row: the same procedure as in the 2nd row, string 1 rocaille and then pass the thread through the nearest rocaille from the previous row. Repeat this procedure 10x and at the end of the row pass the thread through the first rocaille from this row: the total number of seed beads in this row is 15.

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Step 10

5th row: the procedure is the same as in the 4th row and the number of seed beads is also the same.

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Step 11

6th row: in this row, it is necessary to monitor the 3rd row where we doubled the number of seed beads. If you look carefully, the site of the expansion will form a “tree”. In order to ensure that the round looks nice, add the beads in the 6th row in the same places as in the 3rd row. The number of strung grey rocailles will therefore alternate as follows: 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2 (a total of 15). String 1 rocaille and pass the thread through the nearest rocaille from the previous row, then string 2 rocailles and pass the thread through the next nearest rocaille from the previous row: repeat this procedure 5x. End the row by passing the thread through the 1st rocaille in this row.

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Step 12

7th – 13th rows: the same procedure as in the 2nd and 4th rows: the wooden bead is inserted into the seed bead bowl in this phase, because the rows will now narrow.

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Step 13

14th – 19th row: repeat the procedure in reverse order from the 6th to the 1st row.

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Step 14

Affix earring hooks to the sewn seed beads using the thread. 

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