Florals are a big trend in jewelry making. Layer leather flowers with wire and crystals to make your own beautiful pendants for necklaces and earrings.
Materials:
3 colorful leather flowers
15 Swarovski Elements 8mm #5000 rounds
3 Swarovski Elements 4mm #5000 rounds
3 Swarovski Elements 12mm #5810 pearls
5 flat gold color disk beads
Artistic Wire® 22-gauge antique brass
antique brass chain & clasp
Tools:
Round-nose pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Wire cutters
For each flower:
- Cut a 12” length of wire.
- String one 8mm bead about 3” from the end of the wire. Fold the wire around the bead and twist the wires together at the base of the bead to form a petal.
- Leave about 1/4” of wire, then string, fold and twist another bead. Repeat for five petals total.
- Bring the long wire to the center of the flower and pass it through a disk bead and 4mm crystal.
- Leave enough space between the disk and the crystal that you can bend the wire in a right angle so the bead lays across the center of the flower. Pass the wire back down through the disk bead.
- Separate the wires and pass one through the leather flower.
- Fold the wires upward (one extends up the front of the flower, one up the back). Hold them together and pass through a 12mm pearl.
- Make a wrapped loop to connect the pendant to a link on the necklace chain.
Tip: Use smaller flowers with 4mm or 6mm crystals to make matching earrings.
Here's an example of layering leather flowers together. Pinch the ends of the top flower's petals to create a more dimensional effect. You can even get the flowers wet and scrunch them up a little to add more texture to the surface. String the pendant onto leather bolo cord for a quick and easy necklace.
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