Flower Necklace Tutorial

Pearls are a favorite of mine. I've had this long (artificial) pearl bead necklace for a very long time. I wear it when it's in style and it lounges in my jewelry collection when it's not. Inspired by Anthropologie, I added a simple silk flower to the necklace.

Here's what you'll need:

bead necklace, really, any length that pleases you

1- 10 inch square of fabric, I used silk duppioni

3-5 small beads, I used fresh water pearl beads

needle, thread

scissors

fray check, if desired

scrap paper and a pencil to sketch your flower

1.  Draw out on paper, then cut from fabric; or cut free hand, four flowers. The two larger ones are about 3 1/2 inches at their widest point, and the smaller ones are 2 3/4 inches wide. 

2.  Apply fray check to the edges, if desired, to prevent fraying.

3.  Thread your needle and pinch the center of one large flower, taking a few stitches to secure the pleats. 

4.  Add the second large flower on top, again taking a few pleats to add dimension to the flower. 

The photo shows the two large flower pieces stacked together.

5.  Add the smaller flower pieces in the same way, pleating and stitching. The flower petals will be very free-form, this is the look you want.

When you have all four petals in place, you'll see the dimension, particularly if you hold it sideways as shown above.

6.  Stitch the beads you've chosen into the center of the flower. I used seed pearl beads in keeping with the monochromatic look I was after, but colored beads or even small buttons would work equally well.

7.  Finally, stitch the flower to your necklace with a couple of stitches that wrap the thread between two beads. Fasten off securely and enjoy wearing your new creation!