Saturday, November 30, 2013

Mini Snowflake #4 Ornament Pattern

This Snowflake Ornament pattern is a great little snowflake. You can make a dozen in a day and add them to all your gift tags when you are wrapping presents for Christmas. You can tie them with a ribbon on wine glasses or as table place setting markers. Throw a dozen or more around your dinner table to add a bit of snow.




A = 11/0 seed, White, 114 beads
B = 11/0 seed, Crystal AB, 72 beads

R = Round
Rounds start at the Red dot ●


Start by waxing and stretching your thread. Use Fireline*, Nymo D or C-Lon and an #11 or #12 beading needle. Tie in a “stopper” bead, leaving about a 8-10” tail and begin at step #1.  
I like using Fireline® fishing line, too. The 4lb and 6lb Crystal for bead weaving works best.







Round 1
Pick up 12A, make a circle and go with thread through all 12 beads again plus go through the first bead again.



Round 2
a)  Pick up 3A, skip over 1 bead in R1, go forward with thread through the next  A bead in R1. b) Repeat around 5 more times. c) Continue with thread and go forward with thread through the 1st and 2nd A beads add in this round at the first repeat of (a).






Round 3
a)  Pick up 4A, go with thread forward through the 2nd A bead, R2a. b) Repeat (a) around 5 more times. c) Continue with thread and go forward through the 1st and 2nd A beads add in this round at the first repeat of (a).



Round 4
a)
Pick up 1A, 5B, 4A, go with thread forward through the 1st A bead (of the 4A) just added in this step.
b)
Pick up 5B, 1A, go with thread around thread and between the next 2nd and 3rd A beads, R3a, and up through the 1 A bead just added in this step.
c)
Pick up 5B, 4A, go with thread forward through the 1st A bead (of the 4A) just added in this step.
d)
Repeat (b, c) 4 more times.
e)
Pick up 5B, go with thread down through the 1st A bead added in this Round at (a), around thread and between the 2nd and 3rd A beads, R3a, up through the 5 B beads and the 1st A bead (of the 4A) added in this Round at the first repeat of (a), and down through the 1st A bead, R3b.


Round 5 
  a) Pick up 4A, go with thread, from right to left through the 4th A bead, R3a, the 2nd A bead, R2a, and the 1st A bead in the left repeat, R3a.  
b) Pick up 1A, go with thread up through the 2nd and 3rd A beads added in this Round at (a). 
  c) Pick up 1A, go with thread, from right to left, through 5th B, R4a or c, 1st A bead of the (of the 4A), R4a or c, and the 1st through 4th B bead, R4c or e.  
d) Pick up 1B, go with thread forward through the next 2nd through 5th B, the 1st A and the 1st B beads added in Round 4. 
e) Repeat (a, b, c, d) around 5 more times. f) Weave the working thread into the snowflake and end.
Making Hangers for your Snowflake
1. Make it with beads, make a loop with as many beads as you would like,
2. or use a piece of fishing line, making it invisible with mono-filament,
3. or a piece of pretty ribbon. Add ribbon after your snowflake is stiffened.

Finishing
After the snowflake is complete, you can stiffen it with SC Johnson Floor Finish (Sc Johnson #11182 27oz Pledge Futureshinehttp://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=beaweapatbysa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000ARPH4C). It is a great stiffener, it stays clear even on the crystals. Test it first if you use seed beads with dyed colors to make sure the floor finish doesn’t remove the colors.

Pour enough of the finish into a small container that is wide enough for the ornament. Float the ornament into the Future and push it around a bit with your finger.
(After I am done with the floor finish, I use a funnel and pour the extra back into the bottle)

Take the ornament out and blot both sides with a paper towel.

Put the ornament on a piece of wax paper, shape and flatten it and let it remain on the wax paper to dry. (If you use plastic-wrap, the beads can stick a bit to the wrap, so it needs to be moved around a bit to prevent this from happening.) If your ornament needs a little extra flattening, use two pieces of wax paper and sandwich your ornament in between; put a book on top of the wax paper for about an hour. Take the book and the top piece of wax paper off the ornament and let dry overnight on the bottom piece of wax paper.

Sandra D. Halpenny © 2005 - 2024 All rights reserved,
This pattern may not be copied in any way without the express written permission of the author.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

They are gorgeous. Brings back wonderful memories my mom used to make these i never learned but noe have patterns. Thanks

Unknown said...

These are gorgeous.

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