Homemade Christmas Ornaments

"Midnight Star"

Submitted by Carole Ohl

Design © 2007 Carole Ohl

You will need:

·       flat marbles (found in floral departments)

·       felt or veloux material (I used a veloux bead mat)

·       assorted matching beads

·       beading needle

·       6 lb. Fireline fishing line (regular thread may break with glass beads)

·       scissors  

Star Base: Your star base is made of material (a bead mat or felt)  that is glued between two flat marbles. Take a square piece of veloux or felt and glue (with E6000) the flat marbles on, leaving about one inch between each marble. Allow to dry. Cut the marbles out, leaving about an eighth of an inch of material around the marble. Glue a marble onto the other side and let dry.

Your beads will be sewn to the excess material that is sandwiched between the marbles. You will be sewing a series of beaded loops.

Thread your needle. Use a single thread. Make a large knot in the end of your thread.

There are many combinations of beads you can use, depending on the beads you have. For instructions, we will use a basic string of size 11 round seed beads (but you can use any size bead.).

1)  Start your first stitch with unbeaded thread. Put your needle in the material back and poke through to the front, staying as close to the marble base as possible. Secure your thread by sewing in and out a couple times near the marble base. When the thread is secure, bring your thread out through the front to begin beading.

2)  With your thread coming out of the front, pick up six seed beads. Bring your needle and thread around the top of the material and push the needle into the back and out through the front in the position just next to where your beads begin on the front. Keep your stitches as close to the marble as possible. Repeat this technique until you have beaded loops all around your marble.

3)  To make a loop for hanging, pick up twenty (or more for a larger loop) seed beads. Make this loop the same way as in step 2. Go back through the beads in the loop another time to make it secure.

4)  When you have finished attaching all your beads, push your needle all the way through the sandwiched material a couple times to hide and secure your thread. Cut off excess thread.

Below are just a few ideas to play with. You can mix and match these on the same ornament for beautiful effects!

1.  Two seed beads (size 11 or 8), one drop and two seed beads.

2.   One size 8 hex, one size 11 round, one bugle, one seed bead. Go back down through the bugle and add one size 11 and one 8 hex.      

3.   Two seed beads, one cube bead, two (or three!) size 11’s. Go back down through the seed bead and cube, and add two seed beads.

4.    One seed bead, three drops and one seed bead.

For illustrated instructions, Carole has provided a .pdf document that you can view and print.

 

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