russian leaf seed bead earrings

Cut 48" [121.92 cm] of bead weaving thread. Fold it in half to find the centre, then add a mini bead bug about 5" [12.7 cm] to one side of the centre.

Thread needle on the end of the longer side of your thread.

Add 12 beads to your thread and push them up to the mini bead bug.

Run your needle up through the fourth bead from your needle. When you pull the thread tight, your beads will form a diamond shape with the four beads.

Add a bead. Skip the next bead and run your needle through the next. Repeat all the way up to the last bead.
TIP: Be sure to keep your thread taut as you work. The beads will start to form a “brick” type pattern.

Now, you will work back down towards the right. Add a bead and run your needle through the first bead that is “sticking out”. Repeat down the right side but do not add a bead or stitch through the last bead (in the diamond shape from Step 4).
TIP: To form the diagonal shape, you will need to decrease at the bottom and increase at the top. Not beading in the last bead but adding two beads at the turn is your decrease.

Add two beads and turn. Work you ay up the right side as you did in Step 6 but this time, you will add a bead and thread through the last (or top) bead.

For this turn, and each top turn going forward), there will be an increase. To do this, add three beads and move them down so they sit on top of the last rows top bead. Run your needle through the first of the three beads. Pull tight and the beads will “scrunch up” on top of the last row. Remember which was the middle and top bead (of the three) for your next “up” row.

Repeat Step 6.

Repeat this pattern of working your rows up and down with an increase at the top and decrease at the bottom until you have nine accent (or “sticking out”) beads along the left of the diagonal.
TIP: On your up stitches, when you get to the top, the last “add a bead and stitch through” is the top bead (of the three) increase beads.

At the last row, weave down the side and for this row only, add a bead then stitch through the last bead on the row. Weave back up to secure the thread and trim excess.

Remove the needle from the excess thread and add to the thread sticking out from the first row. Also, remove the mini bead buddy.
TIP: The first row is the actually centre, once you are finished with your leaf.

For this first row working the second half of your left, repeat Step 6 with no increase.

Now, decrease at the bottom and increase at the top in a mirror image as the first side.
TIP: You can turn your work so your first side is now on the left and you are working to the right again.

Finish as you did the first side.

Now, cut 6" [15.24 cm] of 24ga wire. Bend the centre over the barrel of your round nose pliers so you have a nice shape. Thread the open ends through the accent beads along the centre of your leaf. Twist the ends on the back and trim excess.
TIP: The bend of the wire should be the very top of your earrings

Carefully open the loop at the bottom of your fishhook ear wire, slide the bend of the wire inside the loop, then close the loop.

Make a second Russian Leaf Earring.

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