You’ve made your french beaded flowers, and now you want to display them well. If you wish to create an arrangement in a container, there are many ways you can accomplish this. Remember, you are working with beaded flowers, which are quite heavy due to all those lovely little beads, and you want to be certain you have plenty of weight in your container so your arrangement won’t tip over!
An often-used material is modeling clay, particularly if your container is made from pottery or opaque glass. This clay comes in blocks, and doesn’t harden. Heat a small chunk of the clay in your microwave for 10-second intervals to soften it to a workable state, then press it into the container. Placing your stems into the clay, it will hold your flowers upright. There is a good bit of weight to the clay, so it will also anchor the container and prevent tipping. Now cover the surface with some pretty dried moss.
A lovely way to anchor your container, especially a clear glass container, is to partially fill it with glass marbles or stones. These can be purchased inexpensively and will also hold your flowers upright while anchoring your vessel. Just be sure not to tip it over and have all those marbles rolling onto the floor!
If you’re feeling particularly brave, try the ‘fake water’ preparations. These seem to be a type of resin, with two formulas that need to be mixed together prior to use. I love the look of this, but 
have to admit I find them difficult to work with. The mixture is thick and very sticky, and somehow I manage to get it all over myself and my work surface. But the end result is wonderful, and to me it’s worth the mess.
Some tips for using these …
- Follow the package directions carefully, mixing slowly to avoid bubbles.
- After mixing, pour into a plastic bag and snip a corner of the bag, creating a hole from which to pour the mixture down the center of the vase opening – try to avoid getting the ‘water’ on the sides of your vessel.
- Before pouring, place some glass marbles inside the vase and pour the mixture over these. This allows you to fill several vases with a single package of the rather pricey mixture.
- Allow to cure the required length of time before moving the vase or components within. (Don’t ask me how I know this!)
You’ll think of other ways to contain your beaded flowers; I’ve given you only a few here. However you decide to mount them, though, you are certain to enjoy your arrangement for years to come!
French beaded flowers are used in wedding bouquets, decorative floral arrangements, jewelry …. they have endless possibilities, except that all those beads make for lots of weight.
and coloring techniques, as well as how to shape the petals with wonderful finishing touches. We’re given a beautiful Gallery of finished beadwork, then several Projects that are quite well written with easy-to-follow instructions. My first post to this blog includes a photograph of a rose pin that I did following a pattern from this book. Here’s a close-up photo of that piece.
Last, I have to tell you how lucky I am to have room for two workspaces in my home. I’ve converted a spare bedroom into my studio, with lots of shelving and storage spaces. I love to work there, but sometimes it feels a little confining, and I like to work in my dining room near a front window where I can wave to neighbors walking by and enjoy a change of scene. I learned early on to keep a complete workspace there, with all the tools I need, so I’m not having to constantly walk back and forth because I’m missing a tool or supplies. I also use a small drawer unit to hold those tools and supplies, that I can tuck into the corner out of the way when I’m not working (I just love this thing). 
our workspace (I know I sure didn’t) until we start having backaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Yikes! I’ve also discovered some great tips for better ways to organize tools and materials that I want to tell you about – like the inexpensive cork square shown here to keep your items from sliding around.
accounts it’s been around for centuries. As with most crafts, the art was passed from generation to generation without any written record of how it’s done. The technique may have become extinct were it not for the local artists on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Here these flowers are a tradition, and are still being made to decorate churches and for headresses and wedding favors. The craft is now generally known as Maltese.
And so, from the start I challenged myself to seek out these resources and to not only learn the basic technique, but to work to do it well. I must admit, though, I’m not speaking of dull or boring practice here. It’s great fun to play with incorporating lots of different beads and pearls and experimenting with wires of various shapes and colors.
flowers imported from Europe, but it wasn’t until the 1960′s that the technique itself became popular. With the publication of instructional books by Virginia Nathanson, Virginia Osterland and others, crafters learned to create French beaded flowers, and the technique flourished through the 1970′s. Patterns found in these books are still used extensively today.
