Crystal in Bloom Jewelry Set
Margot Potter for
BeadsDirectUK
Lovely Lucite flowers in a panoply of pastels dance and
swing around the neck, wrists and ears while prisms of light refract from
faceted SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS in this decidedly feminine, flirty and
(retro)fabulous design. Inspired by the
chain and charm costume jewelry necklaces popular in the 1930s, Author and
Designer Margot Potter adds a new twist with copper wire and findings to a
lovely effect. All of the components to
make this simply stunning jewelry set can be found at BeadsDirectUK.
Materials
15 large multi-color pastel Lucite flowers
63 small multi-color pastel Lucite flowers
63 4mm SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal rounds or bicones in various
coordinating pastel shades
Double link copper tone double loops link chain (cut a 16” length, 7” length, 2 4
double link lengths)
Copper toggle clasp
2 copper earwires
63 copper headpins
35 copper jump rings
Tools
1. Each large Lucite
flower has a headpin threaded into the center with a smaller flower and a 5mm
crystal. The colors are arranged as you
wish; this is meant to be an intuitive process.
Create a coiled and looped dangle at the back of the flower.
2. Grasp wire tail
with round nose pliers. Bend to a 90
degree angle. Wrap headpin over pliers
until it can’t move further. Bend pliers
½ turn and finish loop. Bend pliers
another half turn. Grasp wire tail with
chain nose pliers, wrapping tightly around bottom of loop to top of bead, be
gentle as you can break the flowers or crystals if you rush. Cut off excess wire and gently tuck tail into
bottom of coil with chain nose pliers.
3. Gently press
coiled loop flush to back of bead, this will allow the flower to hang flat
facing forward when the necklace is worn.
Repeat this for all of your large flowers. There are six on the bracelet, seven on the
necklace and two matching flowers for earrings.
4. Make coiled top
dangles with your small flowers. Thread
a crystal on a head pin into the center of your bead. Make a coiled and looped dangle leaving the
coil straight up and down so the flower will hang straight down from the
chain. These are hung in groups of
three. There are three on the earrings, eighteen
on the bracelet and twenty four on the necklace.
5. To put it all
together, attach a toggle clasp to the necklace ends, bar on one end and toggle
on the other using jump rings opened and closed with two chain nose
pliers. (Watch the Crafty Quickies Jump Ring video to learn how to properly open and close jump rings with tension, no
one likes to lose their dangles.)
6. The dangles are
attached every fourth link (three open links between each dangle.) For the necklace, begin from the center. Attach a large flower on the center link
using a jump ring. Attach a group of
three small flowers on jump rings on both sides of the flower skipping three
links. Repeat alternating between large
flowers and groups of small flowers until you have seven large flowers and eight
groups of three small beads. (When
attaching dangles to chains, be sure all dangles are falling from the bottom of
each link group. Keep the necklace flat
while working to ensure this.)
7. For the bracelet,
skip the first four links and add three flower dangles, skip three and add a
large flower and repeat alternating between large flowers and small flowers
until you reach the sixth large flower.
8. Attach a toggle clasp to the bracelet ends as with the necklace before using jump rings.
8. Attach a toggle clasp to the bracelet ends as with the necklace before using jump rings.
9. To make the
earrings, hang the smallest chain segments on a jump ring attached to the
bottom of each ear wire, thread three beaded small flowers on each jump ring
before securing closed. Attach a large
flower to the bottom of each small chain segment using a jump ring.
10. Check back
through the pieces to be sure all jump rings are properly closed. Toss on a pretty sundress, a cardigan, some
espadrilles and head off into the world feeling like the fabulous flower you
are, Buttercup.
