Japanese beadwork uses two main techniques to make 3d objects from beads, popular as charms, pendants, and rings. Hachinoji-ami, named because the thread forms figure eights (hachi=eight), is closely related to Right Angle Weave. Hana-ami (flower weave) is a form of triangular weave used to make bead flowers and to start and finish spherical or cylindrical objects such as miniature dolls and characters, fruit-shaped charms, and so on.
Today we’ll try a simple eight-wedge hana-ami project, and learn how to make this sunflower charm.
Japanese beading is inexpensive and portable, requiring only beads, and wire or monofilament thread, and once you are familiar with the basic techniques, it is easy to follow Japanese charted patterns, or even design your own, to make all kinds of cute or stylish jewelry and charms.
For todays project you’ll need:
- 40 small glass seed-beads
- 24 yellow 3mm crystal beads
- 8 yellow 4mm crystal beads
- Around 80cm of nylon monofilament or fine wire. I’ve used a coloured wire for better visibility. Ordinary thread is too floppy for 3d work.
Begin by threading eight seed beads and bringing them to the middle of the wire. These beads will form the centre of your flower.
Pass one end of the wire through the last bead on the other end of the wire, so you end up with a ring of beads with both wires crossed through one bead.
Foundation and first round
Now you have your foundation, you can start working the first round. String three beads onto the left-hand wire, and one onto the right-hand wire. Pass the left-hand wire through the bead on the right-hand wire and through the next bead in the foundation ring.
pattern - click for full size
To make the second and subsequent wedges, thread two beads on the left-hand wire and one on the right-hand wire. As before, pass the left wire through the bead on the right wire and through the next bead on the foundation.
When you get to the last wedge, string two beads on the left wire, and pass the right-hand wire through the first bead of the first wedge, and through one of the beads on the left wire, to finish round one.
Now for round two. Thread a seed bead on the right-most wire, and then pass it through the next edge bead from round 1. Now, thread two small, one large, and one small crystal beads on the left-hand wire, and one small crystal bead on the right-hand wire. Pass the left-hand wire through the crystal bead on the right-hand wire, and through the next seed bead from the edge of round 1.
In the pattern, new seed beads are shown in brown, while beads from the previous round are shown in grey. For clarity, only the current round is shown.
To make the second and subsequent petals, thread a seed bead on the right-hand wire and then pass the wire through the next edge bead from round 1. Then string one small, one large, and one small crystal bead on the left-hand wire, and one small crystal bead on the right-hand wire. Pass the left-hand wire through the bead on the right-hand wire and through the next edge bead.
Round two - adding the petals
Make the last petal by threading a seed bead on the right hand wire and passing the wire through the next edge bead and through the first bead of the first petal. String a small, a large, and a small bead on the left-hand wire, and cross both wires through the last bead. You can now either weave in the ends and add a pin or a hanging loop, or continue adding beads to make a bead ring.
You can make different flowers by changing the type and number of beads used for each petal, and changing the number of petals.
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