Growing A Beaded Fuschia

Making French beaded flowers was a new passion for me in 2001.

Fuschia & orchids have always been two of my favorite flowers. I couldn't find patterns for either one. After making several other flowers following instructions found on the internet & at the library, I created this fuschia & then the orchid.

I hope to add more French beaded flowers to both the gallery & free patterns in the future.

Materials list:

Size 11 seed beads. White matte Czech & Japanese silver lined fuschia seed beads were used in the model. (The Japanese seed beads have larger holes necessary for creating the stamens since the wire passes through the beads twice.) You will also need 3 yellow beads for the end of each stamen.
28 gauge wire
Green floral tape

There are three elements needed to make the fuschia; the lower petals which are white, the upper fuschia colored petals & the bunch of stamens.

For the white petalss & the fuscia colored petals, all of the beads for one petal will be loaded onto the wire before starting.

Figures 1 through 3 demonstrate making these three elements

Fig. 1: The white petals consist of five rows of beads; the base row plus four rows on each side of the base. The number of beads used in making the model is shown below. You may need to adjust the number for the beads you are using.

Keep your beads snuggled close together on the wire & the rows close together. The petal is rounded at the top as shown, not pointed.

Base Row 4

Row Two 6

Row Three 11

Row Four 19

Row Five 26

Make 9 white petals

Fig. 2: The fuschia colored petals have a base row plus three rows on each side of the center (base row). Again, the number of beads are listed, but do adjust yours to fit.

This petal is pointed at the end.

Base Row 10

Row Two 15

Row Three 21

Row Four 25

Make 4 fuschia petals.

Fig. 3: The bunch of stamens is done with one piece of wire. Pick up the beads for each stamen as you go, instead of pre-loading the wire as you did for the other petals.

Pick up the correct number* of fuschia colored beads & 3 yellow beads for the first stamen; then bring the wire back through the fuschia colored beads.

Pull the wire taut forcing the yellow beads into a 3-bead picot as shown & twist the wires together at the base for 6 or 7 twists.

Move over on the wire about 1/8 inch or so & add the next stamen in the same manner. Continue until you have five stamen or the number you want to add.

*The number of beads shown in figure 3 is only a representation. The number of seed beads on the stamen (I think that is what those long spiky things are called) in the model range from 25 to 35. Check the picture of the model above to see how you would like to adjust that.

Fig. 4: Twist the two ends of the wire on the stamen together. Cover the wires with green florists tape.

FIg. 5: Arrange the white petals around the stamens with the wrong sides of the petals inward. They will over lap.

Fig. 6: Place the fuschia colored petals on the outside of the white petals having the juncture of the wire & petals at approximately the same level. Wrap with florists tape.

Curve the fuschia colored petals upward toward the stem. Arrange the white petals, curving them & shaping them to achieve the desired effect.

Leaves can be made following the fuschia colored petal instructions. Add fewer or more rows with shorter & longer rows to create a variety of leaf sizes.

Eventually, I will have a hanging back of beaded fuschia! Fantastic! A plant I can't kill!!!

Orchid