French beaded snowdrop pattern – from real to beaded flower
The last month, I went hiking with my family and found a field of snowdrops growing. I took one to do a flower study and create this French beaded snowdrop pattern. It was a flower that has been on my list to bead so I was ecstatic.
Below outlines my process for this pattern. But first, here is the PDF if you’d like to make these French beaded snowdrops.
Step 1: I took apart the petals and then traced them on my sketchbook. I don’t usually start beading right away.
Step 2: I make a prototype of the petals to make sure I have the shape right. Once I have the shape, then I may combine it with a continuous technique so that multiple petals can be made on one continuous wire to reduce the bulkiness of the stem.
Design challenge:
The challenge with making this French beaded snowdrop pattern was with the stem. The flower in nature looks like it’s hanging on a thread of a stem. This can be a problem making multiple units using wire as it creates a very bulky stem that does not resemble anything like it is in nature.
Flower units:
There are a total of 6 petals, a stamen, and an ovary for the top of the flower. I combined the stamen and the inner petals to be one unit so that there are only 2 bottom wires. The outer 3 petals are one unit and the ovary was a unit. There was a total of six 26 gauge bottom wires.
While I could have devised a way to make the whole flower on one continuous wire to reduce the bulk even further, I wanted this pattern to be more accessible to most intermediate beaders.
Beads: I used size 15/0 beads. The flower is slightly bigger than the real snowdrops. I believe using an even smaller bead size will create an even more realistic-looking flower. The green I used for the spathe and ovary was darker than what I would have liked but it was the only green I had on hand.
Wire: While using size 15/0 beads, it’s usually best to use 26 gauge copper-core wire. It would be harder to make the delicate wraps and bends with 24 gauge. It would be too flimsy to use 28 gauge wire.
Finishing: The stem changes in color from the top to the bottom so I do use light green floral tape on the top and dark floral tape on the bottom. Another alternative is to floss the stem using embroidery floss in those colors. I do recommend flossing your stems. It gives it an expensive look instantly. I’m lacking time and want more instant gratification these days. There have been times when I have gone back to certain flowers and flossed the stems.
Here’s a video of my design process:
