Did you always want to learn about French beaded flowers? Did you see a classic crystal French beaded flower on your friends dress and are now wondering how to make it? Read our guide for historical facts and more information…
The history of French beaded flowers dates back to the 1500’s. It started off as a way for poor French peasants to make a few extra bucks from discarded deformed glass beads with the help of some copper wire. These flowers were then used as adornments in different floral arrangements from bridal bouquets to funeral wreathe.
Around the 1800’s the flowers were being exclusively used to decorate tomb stones and gravesites. Eventually, the small scale peasant industry started being recognized as an art form after ladies from affluent families from across Europe took it up as a leisure activity. The flowers were being used as embellishments in clothes, jewelries and decorative household products. Famous designers started incorporating the more upscale versions made from Swarowski crystals in their work.
Today, the art is being practiced all over the world including the United States. There has been a surge in the popularity of this activity in recent times. It is not only considered to be leisurely but also therapeutic since it involves a person completely. There are many e-books and articles on the internet that provide detailed information on the various designs and techniques of French beaded flower making.
The flowers can be used in a myriad of ways. You can use them as a broach or as the perfect addition to a photo frame. You can also contrast the texture of the beads with other materials like terracotta; a bunch of French beaded flowers in a terracotta pot produce rave effects. With a little bit of creativity you can figure out a host of ways to use these stunning creations.
The things that you will need to start making the flowers are copper wire and glass beads. Alternatively you can also use wooden beads or crystals. Ideally the beads should be in different colors such as green, red, blue, yellow etc so that you can use bead colors that parallel nature for instance pink for rose petals, yellow for daffodils and green for the leaves.
The technique is fairly simple, you will need to make each petal or leaf at a time and then put them together to make a flower. You will need a 24 or 26 gauge wire with bead on it. If you find putting beads on the wire by hand cumbersome you can use a bead spinner. Once a substantial amount of wire has been prepared you can use it to form various shapes by wrapping the wire around a central row of beads.
With a little bit of patience and perseverance some marvelous creations can be made with this art and once you get the hang of it you will be surprised how easy it is to make these flowers. All you need is some time and lots of creativity.
