Beading Tutorials: Christmas Projects

Step 1) Following grid A in the pattern below, create a square of basic right angle weave.

Step 2) At the end of the last row, exit the top-most bead (highlighted in blue, grid A). Grasp the RAW square with your thumb and forefinger so that only the top row of beads is shown.

Try to maintain this position as you stitch the next two rows, so that the beadwork will take on the desired shape.

Step 3) Pick up 3 beads to begin the first row of grid B. Follow the pattern using right angle weave, to complete a second square that is the same size as the first.

4) At the end of the last row, exit the side bead of the cluster, and begin the first row of grid C.

As you add squares C-F you will need to use beads from previous squares to connect the box shape. You can count stitches as you go, keeping in mind that in each row, there will be 6 "vertical" beads.

Step 5) Complete each square in order, connecting the edges of the box shape together. If you add new thread, secure the tail immediately to reduce tangling.

Step 1) Once the box is assembled, weave around and exit from the third bead in the middle row (highlighted in orange, grid F).

Step 2) Pick up 4 ribbon colored seed beads, the 4o bead, and 4 seed beads. Stitch into the fourth bead in the middle row.

Step 3) Weave around and stitch back through the last 4 seed beads and the 4o bead again. Pick up 19 seed beads.

Step 4) Stitch back through the first bead added, and the 4o bead. Repeat to form a second loop.

Step 5) Exit from the 4o bead again, and pick up 10 seed beads. Skip the last bead added, and stitch through the next 9 beads, and the 4o bead.

Repeat to form a second fringe.

Step 6) Stitch back down through the connecting seed beads and into the box. Secure the thread with a few knots and trim.

Step 7) To hang your gift box from the tree, insert a wire ornament hook under the 4o bead and twist it to close.

"Wrapped Christmas Present"

Step 1) Trace around your stencil on a piece of felt. If desired, make a smaller circle in the centre as a guide.

Step 2) Thread the needle with a double length of thread and knot the ends three times. Stitch up through the felt, exiting just inside the circle.

Step 3) Pick up four beads and slide them down to the felt. Lay them along the circle, and stitch down into the felt as close to the last bead as possible. Pull tight.

Step 4) Stitch back up through the felt, between the 2nd and 3rd bead. Stitch through the last two beads again.

Step 5) Pick up four beads, and repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have a ring of beads. Use red, white and green beads at random, or in a pattern of your choice.

Stitch through the first bead added at the end of the ring to close it.

Step 6) Create a second ring of beads, just inside the first. Pick up three beads at a time in this round, and each following round.

Add and end thread as needed. When the circle is about half full (or you have reached the centre ring) secure the thread at the back of the felt with a few knots and trim.

Step 1) Create another circle on a piece of felt, and draw the date or two-digit year in the centre.

Step 2) Use back-stitch to cover the numbers with beads. Stitch through the numbers once more to secure them.

Knot the thread at the back of the felt and trim.

Step 1) Cut out the felt circles. Thread the needle with another double length of thread.

Step 2) Stitch through the wreath front, exiting at the top edge. Apply a bit of glue to the back of the felt, and press the two circles together.

Step 3) Allow the glue to dry, then add the picot edging and bail.

Step 1) Pick up 3 beads, and stitch through the wreath from back to front. Pull tight.

Step 2) Stitch up through the 3rd bead.

Step 3) Pick up two beads, and stitch through the wreath from back to front.

Step 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the entire edge of the ornament is edged in beads.

Step 5) Stitch up through the first bead in the edging, and pick up enough beads to create a loop for hanging the ornament.

6) Stitch down into an adjacent edge bead. Bring the thread up through the beadwork at the front of the wreath.

Step 7) Knot the thread as close to the beadwork as possible. Trim the excess thread, and use the eye of the needle to hide the knot under the beads if necessary.

Hang your ornament for all to see!

"Pomegranate Pod Wreath"

Step 1) On about 3 yards of thread, pick up 4 gold beads and slide them down, leaving an 8 inch tail.

Step 2) Stitch through all four beads again to form a ladder. Pick up two more gold beads, and stitch through the previous two again.

Step 3) Stitch through the first stack of beads in the ladder, the last stack, and the center stack to form a ring.

Step 4) Pick up 2 beads, and stitch down through the top bead in the next stack.

Step 5) Stitch up through the top bead in the next stack and pull tight.

Step 6) Pick up 1 bead and stitch down into the next stack.

Step 7) Step up through two beads in the next stack. Pick up two beads, and stitch down into the next stack.

Step 8) Continue adding two beads at a time, and stepping up through two beads after each stitch, until the rope is the desired length.

Add and end thread as needed.

Step 9) Attach a clasp as desired.

STep 1) Exit the beadwork about 3 beads down from the clasp. Pick up 6 green beads and slide them down to the beadwork.

Step 2) Stitch back down through the fifth green bead and pull tight. Snug up the beads if necessary.

Step 3) Pick up 3 green beads, and stitch through the first green bead from the previous step. Stitch into the beadwork away from the clasp.

Step 4) Stitch over to the next row in the base and pick up 1 green bead and 6 red beads. Slide them down to the beadwork.

Step 5) Stitch up through the first red bead added and pull tight.

Step 6) Pick up 1 red bead and stitch through the fourth red bead from the previous step.

Step 7) Pick up 5 green beads and create a leaf. Stitch back through the three center beads in the red cluster and the first green bead. Re-enter the beadwork.

Step 8) Continue adding leaves and berries in this manner, alternating between the herringbone rows.

Space the fringe randomly, or in a pattern of your choice.

Step 9) Secure the tail threads with a few knots between beads and trim.

"Christmas Holly with Berries"

Step 1) On a comfortable length of thread, pick up two white beads, and stitch through both again. Working in ladder stitch, add one red bead, two white beads and one green bead.

Step 2) Stitch the ladder into a ring, and exit from the green bead. Pick up one green and one white bead.

Step 3) Stitch through the white bead in the ladder, to the left of the green. Pull tight.

Step 4) Stitch up through the next white bead. Continue working in tubular herringbone following the color pattern of the bead ladder. (Green and white, white and red, white and white.)

Step 5) At the end of the third round, step up through 3 green beads instead of 2. Continue adding rows, stepping up through three beads at the end of each round. Create a twisted herringbone rope that is at least 40 inches (102 cm) long, adding and ending thread as needed.

Step 6) When the last round is complete, stitch back up into the previous stack and exit the top of the beadwork. Stitch down into the stack of beads to the right of the working thread.

7) Step up to the right, and continue stitching the bead stacks together. Exit the top of the tube.

Step 1)Pick up 3 white beads, a charm, and 3 white beads. Stitch down into the stack directly opposite from where the working thread is exiting.

Step 2) Retrace the thread path through the dangle to add strength.

Step 3) Exit the top of the beadwork again, from an empty stack. Pick up three white beads, and stitch down into the next bead stack. Pull tight to form the beads into a picot. Repeat for the opposite side.

Step 4) Secure the thread within the herringbone rope and trim.

Step 5) Thread a needle on the tail thread, and repeat steps 1-4 to finish the opposite end of the rope.

"Merry Christmas Candy Canes"

Step 1) Secure a stop-bead on 2 yards of thread, leaving a 6 inch tail. Using dark brown beads, create a panel of flat, even count peyote stitch that is 10 beads long and 10 beads across.

Step 2) After adding the last bead, pick up 3 beads, and stitch down into the next row of beads. Pull tight to form a picot.

Step 3) Stitch back up to the top of the panel and add another picot. Exit the beadwork again from the next stack of beads.

Step 4) Pick up 4 beads, one half of the clasp, and 4 beads. Stitch down into the next stack of beads and pull tight. Retrace the thread path through the bead loop again to add strength.

Step 5) Stitch through the beadwork and add two more picots to the last half of the panel.

Step 6) Weave through the beadwork to exit the other side. Secure the tail and trim, but leave the working thread.

Repeat steps 1-6 for the other half of the clasp.

Step 7) Fasten the clasp, and measure the length of the clasp and peyote panels. Subtract this length from the desired length of the bracelet. The result will determine the length of the bead strand in step 8.

Step 8) With the working thread from one panel, pick up enough dark brown beads to match the appropriate length for the bracelet plus one inch. Make sure that the number of beads is divisible by 3.

Step 9) Stitch into the last row of the other peyote component, opposite the thread tail. Weave around, and exit the next stack of beads.

Step 10) Pick up another strand of brown beads, that is the same length as the strand in Step 9 and stitch it to the opposite panel.

Step 11) Continue adding beads in this manner until the working thread is about 6 inches long. Secure the thread in the beadwork and trim.

Pick up the remaining tail thread and continue adding strands until you have a total of 10 strands between the clasps.

Step 12) Secure any tail threads and trim. Secure a comfortable length of thread in one side of the beadwork and stitch through the first 3 beads in one strand.

Step 13) Pick up 5 dark green beads and slide them down to the beadwork.

Stitch back through the 4th bead added and pull tight.

Step 14) Pick up 2 dark green beads and stitch back through the first bead added. Stitch through the next three brown beads in the strand.

Step 15) Pick up 1 black bead and 4 blue beads.

Stitch back through the 3rd blue bead added and pull tight.

Step 16) Pick up 2 blue beads, and stitch back through the black bead, and the next three brown beads in the strand.

Step 17) Continue adding "leaves" and "lights" in this manner, placing different colored lights randomly along the strands. Add and end thread in the peyote panels as needed.

Step 18) When all ten bead strands have been covered with fringe, secure the working thread with a few knots and trim.

"Christmas Lights on Snowy Evergreen Branches"

Step 1) For each napkin ring, create 4 or more peyote beaded beads that are 10 beads long and 8 beads across.

Step 2) On about 6 inches of stretch cord, string 1 8mm accent bead and one peyote bead.

Step 3) String enough 6o beads to fill the space within the peyote bead.

Step 4) Continue adding beads, alternating between accent beads and beaded beads.

Step 5) String the final peyote bead, and all but two of the 6o beads needed. String two 6o beads on the opposite end of the cord.

Step 6) Grasp both ends of the stretch cord and tie an overhand knot around the darning needle. Use the needle to push the knot down to the beads. Remove the needle and pull the knot tight.

Step 7) Tie a second knot directly over the first. Dab the knots with a bit of glue, then pull the peyote bead over the knot to hide it. Allow the glue to dry.

Step 1) Using seed beads and about 14 inches of beading thread, create a peyote stitch square that is 6 beads high and 5 beads across.

Step 2) Fold the square in half and zip-up the edges to form a beaded tube.

Step 3) Secure the tail thread in the beaded tube and trim.

\With the working thread, stitch down into the bead tube, near the center of a row. Pick up 6 seed beads, and stitch into an adjacent bead in the tube.

Step 4) Stitch through the tube and exit the beadwork one or two rows away. Pull the thread to make sure the beads are snug.

Step 5) Continue adding bead loops until there are 5 or 6 loops around the surface of the bead tube.

Step 6) Secure the thread in the beadwork with a few knots and trim.

Step 1) Create as man popcorn beads as you wish - you can always add more as needed.

Step 2) Cut a length of floss that is six inches longer than the desired garland length. Knot one end around a bead twice.

Step 3) String assorted beads and popcorn beads, randomly or in a pattern until the strand is nearly full. Secure the end by knotting it around the last bead twice.

Christmas Tartan



Wrapping Paper