Sugar crystals

Special decorations made using beads and seed beads from the PRECIOSA Traditional Czech Beads brand

 

Ice flowers or sugar crystals? We present a tutorial on how to make special decorations or costume jewelry accessories which recall the delicate beauty from the age of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. No matter whether as luxurious earrings or as an interior decoration, they will stand out beautifully and complete the special holiday atmosphere at any time of the year.

The decorations have been made using PRECIOSA three-cut beads and fire polished beads in crystal and chalk color finishes. PRECIOSA three-cut beads are beads in the shape of a short, cut cylinder. They are produced using a similar technique to PRECIOSA two-cut beads – that is to say by cutting glass tubes with a round hole and a hexagonal surface. The individual cut facets of the three-cut beads and fire polished beads excellently reflect the light and in doing so create the sparkling illusion of ice flowers or sugar crystals.

 

PRECIOSA ORNELA wishes you many sparkling creative ideas.

 

Materials and tools:

 

PRECIOSA three-cut beads (3C1)

361 31 001; 3x 10/0; 48102 (about 290x) crystal

PRECIOSA three-cut beads (3C2)

361 31 001; 3x 10/0; 46102 (about 210x) chalk

PRECIOSA rocaille (R)

331 19 001; 7/0; 46102 (1x) chalk

PRECIOSA fire polished beads (FP1)

151 19 001; 5 mm; 02010/21402 (2x) saturated alabaster

PRECIOSA fire polished beads - olives (FP2)

151 29 401; 7/5 mm; 02010/21402 (6x) saturated alabaster

silver: 0.35 mm binding wire at a length of about 1.20 m; 16 mm and 18 mm eye pins

 

needle nosed pliers; snipping pliers

 

The procedure:

 

Step 1:

Pin 6x FP2 and 2x FP1. Turn the eyes of the eye pins so that they are the same on both sides (fig. 1).

Step 2:

Begin the stringing in the middle of the wire. String 7x 3C2 around both sides of a FP2 from one eye of the eye pin to the other. String 6x 3C2 around both sides of a FP1. String 3x 3C2 between them in an arch. String 4 cm of 3C2 (fig. 2) upwards to the suspension loop

Step 3:

Thread both parts of the wire through the R and 14x 3C1. Return to the R (fig. 3).

Step 4:

String 4.2 cm of 3C2. Thread the wire through the eye pin at the FP1. Add 10x 3C2 to the wire. Thread the wire through the eye pin at the FP2. String 4x 3C2. String the FP2 along with the surrounding three-cut beads. String 3x 3C2. Add a FP2 and a 3C2 with one side (fig. 4).

Step 5:

Proceed in the same way as in step 3 until both parts of the wire are connected at the FP2 (fig. 5).

Step 6:

String 4x 3C2 onto the wire which is heading into the centre. Add the last FP2 along with the side three-cut beads and then 4x 3C>2 again. Thread the eye pin through the adjacent 2. String 7x 3C2. Thread the on the side of the FP2 between the 4^th and 5^th 3C3C2. Secure the wire between the 3^rd and 4^th 3C2 on the upper arch.

String 8x 3C1. Thread the wire through the eye pin at the FP1. Add one more chalk 3C1 along the crystal line of the arch. Twist the wire and thread it under the R (fig. 6).

Step 7:

Proceed as in Step 5. Leave out the FP2 stringing (fig. 7).

Step 8:

Now proceed in the same way on both parts of the wire. You will only string 3C1. Always string 10x 3C1 on the first two arches. They have a span of 1.5 cm. Twist the wire (create a loop) across both lines, the chalk and the crystal. String 10x 3C1 again. Secure the wire between the 3^rd and 4^th 3C1 on the chalk arch. String 10x 3C1 one more time. Secure the wire between the 3^rd and 4^th 3C2 on the crystal arch. String 6x 3C1. Secure the wire between the 3^rd and 4^th 3C2 on the lower crystal arch. String 6x 3C1. Thread the wire through the eye pin at the FP2. String 4x 3C1. Secure them on the side of the lower FP2 between the 3^rd and 4^th three-cut beads. Turn the wire back. String 6x 3C1. Twist the wire twice between the 3^rd and 4^th 3C1 on the chalk arch. This completes it (figure no. 8).

Designer: Helena Chmelíková

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