Want to make beautiful beads made from roses?
The Rose Bead Group with the
Potomac Unit of the HerbSociety of America leads workshops to show how to create beautiful jewelry from
roses. These hands-on demonstrations are led by Mary Lou Winder, the
Chairperson of the Rose Bead Group.
Here are Winder’s 10 steps to help you make beautiful
rose beads at home
1. First, you will need a lot of rose petals! A cup of dried
petals will yield 3-6 beads, so keep that in mind when considering how big you
will want your piece of jewelry. Another important thing to remember, all
plant parts other than petals must be carefully removed to ensure a smooth
bead.
2. Step two, dry the petals. It is important to dry the
petals completely, otherwise you risk mold growing.
3. Next, freeze the petals for at least three days to kill
any insects.
4. Then, put the petals in a pot, add water to cover, and
simmer slowly for several hours until the petals are very, very soft.
5. Next, put the cooked petals, little by little, in a
blender. Puree them thoroughly with enough liquid (cooking liquid or water) to
make a finely ground, smooth concoction.
6. Put this mix into an iron pot and set it over very low
heat. Use a “flame tamer” to keep it from scorching. Cook it slowly, stirring periodically and
scraping down the sides, until the moisture evaporates and you have a thick
mash that is now black from the chemical reaction with the iron in the pot.
7. Repeat, adding water to the thickened mash and grinding
it again in the blender, then cooking it slowly until you again have a thick
mash. Blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
8. Add a small quantity of rose oil to the mash. Winder uses rose fragrance oil.
9. When the mash is ready, measure it out in rounded half
teaspoons. Roll in the palms of your hands, dabbing slightly with water
if need be to remove all cracks. Gently roll the round, smooth bead
between 2-ridged wooden butter paddles to give a bit of texture.
10. Lastly, spear the bead on a wire and set aside to dry
over the next several days. Beads must be turned on the wire daily while
they dry to keep them from cementing themselves to the wire. They will
shrink substantially! Once they are dry
and hard, remove the beads from the wires and let them dry a few days more. Now, you can string them as you would any other bead, in combination with
other purchased beads, to make necklaces.
The rose bead group offers workshops every month. In
addition, they sell their rose jewelry locally and online. For more information, contact Mary Lou Winder at
marylouwinder@yahoo.com.
About the Author: Alexa Silverberg is a senior broadcast journalism major at the University of Maryland and is from Short Hills, NJ. She is an editorial intern at
Washington Gardener Magazine this spring semester.
