You will need:

• Tiara band
• 3-7mm glass facetted beads
• Bead mat
• 20 metres 0.4mm silver coated wire
• Pliers - round nosed, snipe/flat nosed
• Wire cutters

To make:

Make a good amount of beaded components ready for when you start adding to the tiara. You will be surprised how many you use – this design used just under sixty! Get a feel for them by making the single bead fronds first; these are great to fill in gaps. Use a bead mat or a piece of felt to stop your beads rolling away. When twisting the wires, hold by the bead to get a good tension. Try not to overwork the wire as it will weaken and break.

Single Bead Frond

Thread a bead onto 10cm of wire. Fold wires under the bead so they touch. Pinch and twist the wire a couple of times to secure. Continue winding the wire around itself to the length needed, leaving two ‘legs’ to attach to the tiara.

Triple Bead Cluster/Triple Bead Frond Row

Thread three beads onto 15-20cm of wire placing beads where you want them by pinching the wire as before under the bead. Like the single bead frond twists the wire to secure in place, hold the middle bead and gently tug the wires together. Twist to the length needed, leaving wire ‘legs’ to attach to the tiara.

Flower

Thread five beads onto 15-20cm of wire bringing the end beads round till they meet. Twist the wires to secure. Make a single bead frond and thread this through the flower centre to the back. Separate the ‘legs’ and wind one ‘leg’ clockwise and the other anticlockwise a couple of times. Trim off the excess with wire cutters. Twist the main flower wires to length needed leaving wire ‘legs’ to attach to the tiara.

Attach the beaded components to the tiara by wrapping one of the ‘legs’ clockwise and the other anticlockwise over each other. The end of each beaded component should rest directly against the back edge of the tiara band. The ‘leg’ ends need to finish up on the top and be trimmed with wire cutters (you don’t want any sharp ends going into your scalp). Nip these flat with snipe/flat nosed pliers. Continue adding all the beaded components.

You will be left with untidy looking wirework. Disguise with a beaded overlay. Thread sufficient beads onto a 30cm length of wire. Wrap one end of the wire beside the last attached bead component. Work in the bead overlay by wrapping wire between each bead through the components and around the tiara band. I found this easier by having the tiara upside down and using round nosed pliers to bring the wire through each time. You will probably need an additional length of wire, but smaller lengths are much easier and safer to work with. When the last bead has been attached, wrap the remaining wire(s) in the same way as you started the bead overlay off.

I also made Alice bands using lucite flower beaded components; these are threaded with wire in the same way.  Alternatively, you could cover the tiara band with just the bead overlay and not bother with any beaded components.

Gillian Cain, Bowes Belles WI, Tyne & Wear South Federation
https://www.facebook.com/gillcrafts