Snowflake #7 Ornament Pattern

 

It's that time of year again when the snowflakes will start falling. I think these are a lot more fun when you have snowflakes all over the house. What do you think? This pattern originally appeared in Bead & Button magazine in 2006.

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 11/0 seed bead, White
4mm Crystals AB

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 12 seed beads; go with thread through the 1st seed bead. Continue with thread forward through all 12 beads again, coming out with thread at the 1st bead added.

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

Round 3 a) Pick up 3 seed beads; go with thread forward through the 2nd and 3rd seed beads in R2. b) Pick up 5 seed beads; go with thread down through the 1st seed bead added in this step and forward through the next 1st and 2nd seed beads in R2a. c) Continue R3, by repeating steps (a and b), 5 more times around d) Continue with thread forward through the 2nd bead, R2a and the 1st and 2nd beads added in the first repeat of (a), this round.

Round 4 a) Pick up 6 seed beads, 1 crystal, go with thread around the thread in R3, between the 3rd and 4th seed beads, R3b. Continue with thread up through the crystal just added. b) Pick up 6 seed beads, go forward with thread through the 3rd seed bead, R3a. Continue with thread up through the 6th seed bead just added in this step. c) Continue R4, by repeating steps b and c, 4 more times. d) Pick up 5 seed beads, 1 crystal, go with thread around the thread in R3, between the 3rd and 4th seed beads, R3b. Continue with thread up through the crystal.Pick up 5 seed beads, go with thread down through the 1st seed bead added in (a), this R, the 3rd seed bead, R3a and up and forward through the 6 seed beads added in (a), this R.

Round 5 a) Pick up 1 seed bead; go with thread forward through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seed beads, R4b. b) Pick up 6 seed beads; go with thread forward through the 3rd, 4th and 5th seed beads, R4c. c) Repeat (a and b) around 5 more times. d) Continue round 5, by repeating steps (a and b), 5 more times around. Continue with thread forward through the seed bead added in the first repeat of (a), this R.

Round 6 a) Pick up 5 seed beads; go with thread forward through the 1 seed bead added in R5a, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seed beads, R4b, and up through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seed beads, R5b. b) Pick up 1 crystal and 5 seed beads, go with thread forward through the 2nd seed bead just added in this step.  c) Pick up 1 seed bead; go with thread down through the 4th, 5th and 6th seed beads, R5b, and the 4th, 5th and 6th seed beads, R4a. d) Repeat steps (a, b and c), around 5 more times. 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 Futureshine). 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 - 2013 All rights reserved,
This pattern may not be copied in any way without the express written permission of the author.