In this blog post by Smyks, we present an old acquaintance in beautiful new clothes. We are talking about the so-called berry beads and flower balls. Both can be used as pendants but each of them is made in its own special way. If you have worked with beading before, you will master the technique very fast. But if you are a beginner, it might be a good idea to start with the version we explain further down in this blog article.
Smyks offers a vast assortment of genuine crystal beads by Preciosa - in the webshop as well as the shop in Copenhagen. Click here for Smyks' range of ready-made berry beads.
By the way, you can use these beading techniques with all kinds of beads and beads in all sizes. Have fun :-)
Earrings with Emerald Green Flower Ball
We used the following components to make these earrings:
- 24 Preciosa bicones, 4mm, emerald green
- Miyuki seed beads, size #11, 24 karat gold-plated
- 2 jumprings, open, 4x0.5mm, gold-plated
- 1 pair of earwires with spiral and ball, gold-plated stering silver
- FireLine, 8LB, black
- wide-eye needle or beading needle
Cut approx. 50cm FireLine to size. String alternately 4 crystal beads and 4 seed beads.
Form a circle with the thread and tie a knot.
Tighten the thread and tie a few extra knots.
Sew through the crystal and the seed bead next to the knot.
String 4 crystals and 3 seed beads ... and sew back through the seed bead, in order to form a circle.
Tighten the thread. Now you have 2 circles.
Sew through the next crystal and the next seed bead...
... and continue through the next crystal and seed bead.
Now you assemble the next circle in the same way.
Tighten the thread. Now you have 3 circles. Sew through the next crystal and the seed bead beside it ...
... and continue through the next crystal and seed bead.
String 1 crystal + 1 seed bead + 1 crystal ... and sew through the seed bead at the opposite end (see picture).
Repeat this procedure at the other end and sew again through the seed bead at the other end (see picture).
Tighten the thread. Now the beads form a ring. Next, you have to close the two sides in order to finish the ball shape.
Continue sewing into the same direction ... through 1 crystal and 1 seed bead (.... so the thread comes out of the outer row).
String 1 crystal ... skip two crystals and sew through the next seed bead.
One more time ... string 1 crystal, skip two crystals and sew through the next seed bead.
Do this one more time. Now you have added 3 crystal beads.
Next, you add the last crystal in the same way. Now you have closed one side of the flower ball with 4 crystal beads.
Sew through random beads until the thread comes out of a bead on the other side of the flower ball.
Close this other side in the same way ... by adding 4 crystal beads ... one at a time.
Sew up the thread through random beads and cut off the excess thread.
Finally, you pull a jumpring through one of the beads so you can attach the flower ball to an earwire.
Earrings with Fuchsia Flower Ball
We used the following components to make these earrings:
- 24 Preciosa bicones, 4mm, fuchsia
- Miyuki seed beads, size #11, 24 karat gold-plated
- 2 jumprings, open, 4x0.5mm, gold-plated sterling silver
- 1 pair of earwires with zirconia, gold-plated sterling silver
- FireLine 8LB, white
- wide-eye needle or beading needle
Earstuds with little Flower Ball
We used the following components to make these earrings:
- 24 Swarovski bicones, 3mm, padparadscha
- Miyuki seed beads, size #15, 24 karat gold-plated
- 2 jumprings, open, 4x0.5mm, gold-plated sterling silver
- 1 pair of earstuds with 3mm ball, gold-plated sterling silver
- FireLine, 6LB, white
- wide-eye needle or beading needle
Earrings with Crystal Berry Beads
We used the following components to make these earrings:
- 1 pair of hoops, 20mm, gold-plated sterling silver
- 30 Preciosa crystal beads, 4mm, sapphire blue
- FireLine, 8LB, black
- wide-eye needle or beading needle
Cut approx. 80cm of FireLine. String 5 beads.
Form a circle with the thread and tie a knot.
Tighten the thread ... and tie a few extra knots.
Sew through the bead on the left side of the knot.
String 4 beads ... and sew back through the bead the thread comes out of ... to form a circle (see picture).
Tighten the thread. Now you have 2 circles.
Sew through 1 crystal (the one on the left side of the bead the thread comes out of).
String 3 beads ... and sew through 2 beads (see picture).
Tighten the thread. Now there are 3 circles. Sew through the bead on the left, before you start making the next circle.
String 3 beads again ... and sew through 2 beads.
Tighten the thread. Now 4 circles are done. Sew through the bead to the left, before you start sewing the next circle.
Add the next 3 crystal beads in the same way.
Tighten the thread. Now you sew through the next 2 beads (instead of only through one).
Now you string 2 beads ... sew through 1 bead (see picture) ...
... and continue through the next 2 beads (see picture).
Turn your piece of needlework. Then you sew through the bead on the left ... so the thread comes out of the outer row (see picture).
Now the first half of the berry bead is done.
String 3 beads ... and sew through 2 beads.
Sew through the next 2 crystals to the left. Now you are ready to add the next circle.
String 3 beads ... and sew through the next 2 beads.
Then you sew through the next 2 beads to the left again ... before you can add the next circle.
String 3 beads ... and sew through the next 2 beads.
And one more time .... sew through 2 beads to the left.
Now you only string 2 beads ... and sew through 3 beads.
Sew through 3 beads to the left.
Now you can add the last bead. String a bead and sew through the bead opposite to it - in order to form a circle of 5 beads (the 5 beads are marked with red dots in the picture).
Sew through all 5 beads (one at a time).
Tighten the thread. Now you sew through the 5 beads in the circle next to it. (This circles feels a bit loose compared to the other one).
It is difficult to keep the thread tight all the time. If the ball is a bit slack, you can sew through all the circles one more time.
Earthreads with small Crystal Ball
We used the following components to make these earrings:
- 1 pair earthreads, 10cm, with cable chain and pegs, gold-plated sterling silver
- 12 Perciosa crystals, 4mm, olive green
- 2 locking beads, 3mm
- FireLine, 8LB, black
Cut approx. 30cm of FireLine. You don't need a needle to assemble this little berry bead. String 4 beads. Pull one end of thread through the last bead again... in order to form a circle. Now the thread ends comes out of the two opposite holes of the same bead.
Tighten the thread ... and place the beads in the centre of the thread.
String 2 beads on the thread end to the right and 1 bead on the thread end to the left.
Pull the left thread end through the second bead on the right thread end.
Tighten the thread.
Repeat this one more time ...
... and repeat this step, too. Tighten the thread.
String 1 bead on the left thread end ... and pull the thread through the bead at the bottom.
String 1 more bead and tie a knot (see picture).
Tighten the thread. The little berry bead is done. Tie a few extra knots. Pull each of the thread ends through a couple of beads and cut off the excess thread. 
Then you take a locking bead and pull it carefully up the earthread. After that, the little berry bead ... and finally another locking bead.
Handle the locking beads carefully when you pull them up so the chain won't break.
Congratulations! You’ve now made your first crystal bead ball :-)
You can also make decorative angels out of the crystal balls. All you need to do is combine the balls with a bead in the same colour, add wings and use a headpin to form a loop.
For these angels, we used the following DIY components:
Angel wings, golden metal bead, 19x10 mm
Bead cups, gold-plated brass, round and filigree, diameter 9mm
Extra long headpins with 1.8mm ball, gold-plated brass, 70x0.7mm
+ Various beads, 10mm
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