DIY Pearl Christmas Ornaments!

My version of a pearl Christmas ornament!

I was going through old beads, and found a stash of glass pearls.  In trying to find something Christmasy to do with them, as well as destash some supplies to make room for NEW beads, I came across this blog idea by RoomMom27:

I liked the idea of filling ornaments with pearls for several reasons:

1) no glue!
2) no mess!  (see above)
3) no lost beads over time (b/c glue gave out)
4) my 3 year old could help me!

So I went to Michaels to collect the rest of the supplies.  Since I already had beads, I spent less than $2 per ornament.  If you need to buy beads, you might spend closer to $5 per ornament - the total price will depend on what pearls you chose to use and how good a sale you find!

Materials:
 - pearls - chose 1 size or various sizes - quantity will depend on pearl size, strand length, etc.
 - ornament - 80 mm disc (flat) ornament in shatterproof plastic (smallest size I could find)
 - grape clusters

I needed between 1-2 pearl strands per ornament, and 1 grape cluster.  I chose to use grape clusters to fill in gaps, make the ornaments lighter (glass pearls are heavy!), and have a distinct variety in sizes.  Plus I was trying to get rid of glass pearls, not purchase more! 

The shatterproof ornament was a good idea in my household with two girls under 4 years of age.  Plus, you can be heavier handed with them (ahem, pushing those grapes in can be snug!) and not break them.  The disc shape (flattened rounded coin) helped reduce the amount of pearls needed to fill the gaps and resulted in ornaments where most of the material inside was visible from outside, instead of hidden in the middle of a ball.

FIRST - Remove all tags, strip the leaves from the grape clusters (I hate waste so I kept these to add to my ornaments at the end!), and cut off the grapes.  A sturdy pair of scissors should work, but the grapes are held on by wire, so you could use wire cutters if you have them.

SECOND - Remove pearls from strands, if you have strands.  A bowl or container is useful to keep materials from rolling off the table.  Then, pull off the ornament caps and start adding grapes and pearls! Layer them - some pearls, some grapes, some pearls, some more grapes, etc.  I found I got the best results by filling the ornament 1/2 full of grapes, then adding pearls, shaking gently to distribute them, and then adding more grapes and pearls.  I added a grape last, to fill in the neck of the ornament.

THIRD - Add the cap back on, and twist 2 leaves together by the leaves.  Wind the remaining wire around the neck of the ornament and twist the end together.  Bend the remaining wire back towards the ornament so it doesn't stick out and poke anyone!

FOURTH - Stand back and admire your work!  Hang on trees, presents, garlands, etc.!

Here are some other pearl Christmas ornament tuts that I found that you might enjoy:

Craftberry Bush:  Pearl Strands
DIY Network:  Pearl Styrofoam Balls
DIY Divas:  Pearl Ornament

Happy Creating and Merry Christmas!
PZ

DIY SNOWFLAKES: Easy, Solder-Free, Wire & Beads

It's December, and I can't get Christmas off my mind!  Everywhere I drive or walk, every time I turn the radio on, or even turn around in my own house, there are Christmas decorations!  My household is still fairly young, and we don't have that many decorations yet, so I always feel there is room for more around the holidays.

This year I decided to make some of my own beaded snowflakes to add to our collection for several reasons:

     1) My husband hates glitter.  Almost all snowflakes in stores have glitter galore!

     2) We, like most families, need to watch our finances and making snowflake ornaments (depending on  your materials) is cheaper.

     3) I enjoy making things and always like designing new patterns!

     4) I have tons of beads and wire already at home - just waiting to be turned into something awesome!

     5) I get exactly (well, maybe not exactly....) what I want when I make my own decorations!

     6) I love sharing!  What better tutorial to share around the holidays than how to make your own decorations for less?!?!?  These snowflakes are quick and easy to make - they can decorate trees, garlands, chandeliers, windows - you name it!  They also make nice additions to Christmas gift packages or as stocking stuffers!  you can even make them in your favorite sports team's colors!

So where did I start?  The awesome internet, of course!  I searched for patterns that were already out there, I admit.  I was looking for inspiration!  I found inspiration, but not a pattern I really liked.  Many beaded snowflake patterns ask for a premade wire armature that you just fill with beads.  I wasn't interested in that.

Next were patterns that required the use of a soldering iron and solder - I have access to these but didn't really want to fiddle with solder......Finally, ALL patterns were of the spoke variety (upper right snowflake in the image below) - where the snowflake arms radiate outwards from a center point.  These are pretty, but I was looking for something more inspired....and more accurate.  Snowflakes generally have 6 sides because of the shape of the water molecule - so I wanted mine to have 6 sides/arms too!

My First Snowflakes!

Above are my first attempts - these are made from antique chandelier beads.  I believe they are faceted glass instead of crystal, but don't really know for sure!  I was given the bunch by an aunt several years ago.  The largest snowflake (upper left) was my 1st.  It's pretty, but takes over an hour to make and I was looking for something a little quicker - I have plenty of time-consuming projects already on my plate!  The small ones were next, followed by my version of a spoke snowflake (upper right), and finally by the lower left one that is fully enclosed. 

After playing around with beads and wire for a couple days, I had "perfected" a simple, quick, and pretty snowflake pattern!  I was ready to make a bunch of snowflakes based primarily on one pattern, with some variations as I went along.  Here are some of my snowflakes made using the pattern provided here:

My 1st (repeatable) Snowflake Pattern!

And without further ado, here the pattern is for you to also enjoy!  Try other beads, other colors, and definitely other bead combinations to spice up your own snowflake collection with variety and fun!

You will probably need to download the above image/directions in order to see the images and read the directions.  Please feel free to distribute this pattern to friends and family - but DO NOT duplicate with the intent to sell.  If I wanted to see this pattern sold, I could do it myself!  I'd also appreciate it if you'd credit me for the design, should anyone ask.  Thank you so much for understanding and being respectful of me and my designs - I try to do the same for every other artist and crafter out there!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Creating Everyone!
~PZ