Mistletoe made of Seed Beads
Get ready for the new Christmas season with a creative project that spreads warmth and cheer! In this blog post, I'll show you how you can easily make the most beautiful mistletoe out of seed beads and metal wire. With just a few materials and a little patience, you'll create wonderful homemade Christmas decoration that you can use year after year.
The technique is simple and can be varied to craft small beaded flowers, miniature trees and even decorations with semi-precious stones or crystals. Let your imagination run wild and use your leftover beads in a fun and creative way - perfect for a quiet winter evening with a cup of hot chocolate by your side.
Check out Smyks' other Christmas-themed blog posts:
DIY 3D Peyote Stars
DIY Christmas Crystals
DIY Stars with Delica Beads
DIY Christmas Decoration Copper and Gold
DIY Christmas Decoration with Beads and Flowers
DIY Christmas Decoration with Wooden Beads
For this mistletoe, we used the following DIY components:
Glass seed beads, size #11, dark green
Miyuki seed beads, size #11 brown picasso
... alternatively, jade, 6mm. white
Start by stringing beads on the wire ... a number of beads that corresponds to approx. 30cm.
Do not cut the wire.
Push about 20 beads forward on the wire. They are going to be the 1st row of the leaf.
Bend in the end of the wire to prevent the beads from falling off.
Bend an approx.15cm long piece of wire behind the 20 beads.
Twist the wires around each other just below the beads. The approx. 1cm long piece of twisted wires is the bottom of the leaf. Thread new beads on the wire (see picture).
Place the wire on the left over the wire on the right ...
... and wind it around ... so it ends up on the right-hand side of the 1st row of beads. The 2nd row of beads is done.
Turn the leaf upside down... thread beads on the wire ... and wind the wire around the other twisted wires.
Turn the leaf ... thread beads ...
... wind the wire ...
Continue in the same way until you have 7 rows of beads.
Finish by winding the wire a few times around the bottom of the leaf. Cut the wire.
Cut some of the wire at the top of the leaf and bend the remaining wire over to the back of the leaf.
Twist the rest of the length around the stem and form the leaf into the desired shape. For this mistletoe, we made a total of 11 leaves.
Cut approx. 15cm wire to size ... and thread 1 moonstone bead (6mm) + 1 seed bead.
Skip the seed bead an pull the wire back through the moonstone.
Tighten the wire.
Make a winding right underneath the bead.
Thread another moonstone bead + a seed bead ... and pull the wire back through the moonstone bead.
Place the 2 beads close to each other.
Wind the rest of the length around the "stem".
Make in the same way in total:
2 stems with a single berry
3 stems with 2 berries
2 stems with 3 berries
Assemble 2 leaves and a double berry stem ...
... and twist the wires around each other.
Add a leaf further down on the stem ...
... and a single berry a bit underneath the single leaf.
Here you see 2 leaves combined with a cluster of 3 berries.
Here you see a single leaf combined with a single berry.
Add 2 leaves ... and e stem with 2 berries.
This twig consists of 3 leaves, a stem with 2 berries and a stalk with 3 berries.
Now you have assembled 4 twigs with different numbers of leaves and berries.
Finally, you twist all the strands together to create the look you want.
Finally, you can decorate your mistletoe with a bow.
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