Sakura Bouquet Necklace

Continuing the theme of workshop beading projects, I have another new workshop to write about today, the Sakura Bouquet Necklace.

Revisiting the Sakura Charm

When I was asked to teach this project, I thought about all the different kinds of beads that have been developed in the past few years since I first came up with this design. Many of these new beads can act as different kinds of sakura petals, just as there are many different kinds of sakura blossoms. Did you know that there are over 200 varieties in Japan alone? These are just a few of them from my trip to Japan a little over a year ago:






(though I think one of those may be plum blossoms... Sometimes it's hard to tell!)

A Bouquet of Cherry Blossoms

With this idea in mind, I came up with several new ways to weave a Sakura Charm from different kinds of beads! This piece expands the original design into four different varieties of the cherry blossom flower, and collects them together into a cascading necklace bouquet. These blossoms are woven from lentils, petal beads, teardrop beads, and rizos, and each one has a slightly different thread path to make the most stable, self-supporting version of each flower. A net of bugle beads ties them together into the completed necklace.

Beading Class at BABE!

I'll be teaching this class at the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza! show this November. Classes are held from November 15-17 (Fri-Sun), while the exhibition hall is open on November 16 and 17. Since this class is available in two sessions (Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th), you can kickstart a fabulous weekend of beading with this class on Friday afternoon, saving plenty of time for shopping over the weekend. Or you can take this class on Saturday morning, but please note that the Saturday session is almost sold out, so book now if you're interested in this session.


Interestingly, my complete class lineup at BABE! this year follows a decidedly floral theme; I'll also be teaching the Tila Garden Pendant, a slightly streamlined version of the Raindrop Flower Necklace, and a slightly expanded version of the Tropical Dahlia Set. Please visit the BABE! website for more information on how to register!

What's your favorite kind of beaded blossom? Drop me a line in the comments!