Beading today is experiencing a new wave of popularity. More and more needlewomen prefer to spend evenings, creating their own unique masterpieces. It is worth noting that such delicate work will require a lot of diligence and time. However, what will turn out in the end will more than pay for all these costs.
To decorate the interior of their home or as a gift, very often weave various trees. This is one of the most labor-intensive work in beadwork, since each branch of such a tree is created separately, and you also need to make a trunk and a stand. Willow from beads will look especially beautiful. Her hanging branches and a curving trunk resemble a girl who is sad for her beloved. It is this image that is most often sung in Russian folk songs.
What do you need for work?
In order to get a weeping willow similar to a living willow from beads you will need:
- more green beads No. 11 for leaflets;
- a thin wire for weaving flexible branches (diameter - 0.2 mm);
- the wire is thicker to form the trunk and thicker branches;
- threads of gray-brown color for winding thick branches and trunk;
- wire cutters for trimming wire residues;
- scissors;
- stand under the tree;
- any jewelry (pebbles, beads, decorative moss).
Also, to make it more convenient to work, you can pour the beads into any box. So it’s easier to string it on a wire. The more beads in a box, the easier it is to type. Although you can use a spinner.
Making branches
How does the painstaking work begin, as a result of which the needlewoman will get a weeping willow from beads? Of course, with weaving leaves and branches. After all, only by doing the smallest work with your own hands, you can achieve close resemblance to living plants.
1. Cut the wire 70 cm long and collect 14 green beads on it. Place them in the middle and fold the segment in half. Twist it several times around its axis. This will be the first leaf of the tree.
2. Now, at one end of the wire, dial another 14 pieces of green beads. Place them at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from the top leaf and entwine the wire around its axis 6-7 times.
3. At the other end, weave the exact same leaf. Then connect the 2 ends of the wire to each other, making also 6-7 turns. Thus, make a total of 15 leaves on a branch.
4. As a result, the first branch will be ready. Give it a spikelet shape, bending the side leaves to the central axis. Total branches will need at least 48 pieces. The more they will be, the more magnificent and voluminous willow from beads will turn out.
Wood assembly
After all the branches are ready, it is time to start assembling the tree. At this stage, from the disparate elements, a willow from beads will be obtained, the weaving patterns of which are very similar to the patterns of making other trees. Differences will be only in small details and colors.
1. From the total heap of branches, take 4 pieces and twist them together in pairs. Do the same with the rest of the elements. As a result, there will be 12 prefabricated branches larger.
2. Now you need to take a thicker wire (thickness from 1.5 mm is suitable) and, using the same thin wire, wind each branch to it. The length of a thick segment can vary from 12 to 25 cm. Then tightly wrap the resulting trunk with threads. So do with all 12 branches.
3. Take 3 branches of different lengths and connect them together so that they are at different levels. A thinner wire is used for fastening, and the joints are again wrapped with threads. The result is 4 branches.
4. Connect these 4 branches to each other so that you get a fairly thick tree trunk. To do this, you can even wrap the base several times with a thin wire. Mask everything with gray-brown threads.
This concludes the master class. The willow from the beads is ready, it remains only to place it on the stand. The latter can also be done independently or use a ready-made pot.
Willow stand
If you decide to use a ready-made pot or a small planter as a stand, you can simply fill it with plasticine. Then stick a tree into it and mask it with beads, beads or decorative moss. You can even put some real pebbles, suitable in size. But this is the easiest way to attach the willow from beads to the stand.
Those who want to create a foundation with their own hands will need alabaster, PVA glue and water in equal proportions. They just need to be mixed together. Make a stencil from any plastic bottle, and fill it with the resulting mass. Already in it "plant" a ready-made willow and leave for a day so that the alabaster seizes. Now it remains only to decorate it to taste. You can do the same as in the case of plasticine.
Additional tips
More experienced needlewomen can make changes to the process so that they get their own willow from beads. You can increase the number of branches to the desired. Some craftswomen weave more than 100 branches on one tree. This will not only make it more magnificent, it will also “grow” in height. Instead of thread for the trunk, professional beadwork uses a special
floral ribbon, and some prefer to paint the trunk and thick branches with the right paint. In this case, in order not to stain the leaves, they need to be covered with foil.
A willow stand can be anything at all. You can draw a tree roots or "plant" it on the banks of a small river. On the branches you can place decorative birds and animals, as well as under them. And those who are ready for large-scale projects can even decorate an entire castle with such a tree. The main thing is to correctly assess your strengths and capabilities. This is the case when you can give free rein to imagination and hands.
Conclusion
Deciding to perform such a though not very difficult, but very painstaking work, do not throw the weave halfway. A willow made of beads created with your own hands will be the most unusual and touching gift to any friend and relative. Handwork always keeps a part of the soul of the person who made it. Despite the fact that it will take more than one evening to make the above-described little thing, even a schoolboy can cope with such weaving. What can we say about adults!