Butterfly Ring Free Beading Tutorial
This butterfly ring and other butterfly projects that I am developing were inspired by the following proverb. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” This beaded butterfly ring would make a great gift for someone who has been going through a difficult time because butterflies are a symbol of hope. It would also make a great gift for someone who appreciates the beauty of butterflies.
Butterfly Ring Materials (Blue)
- 3 8/0 Czech Seed Bead Silver Matte (A)
- 2g 10/0 Czech Seed Bead Silver Matte (B)
- 2 8/0 Czech Seed Beads Emerald Matte AB (C)
- 4 11/0 Czech Seed Beads Emerald Matte AB (D)
- 6 4mm Es-O Mini 2-hole Beads Aqua (E)
- 4 2mm 2TINY™ Czech Fire Polished Bead Crystal Vitrail Medium (F)
- 32 10/0 Czech Seed Beads Aqua Mega Mix (G)
- Beadalon® WildFire™ beading thread diameter 00.20 (.008”) Black
- Scissors
- Big Eye Needle
How to make a Butterfly Ring
Body
You will create the body using the ladder stitch.
- On 3 feet of thread pick up 2A. Pass the needle up through the bottom of the first bead and down through the top of the second. Pass through the beads again making sure to work with a tight tension and to create a firm base. The holes of the bead should be facing you and their sides are flushed against each other.
- Add the remaining beads one at a time. Pick up 1A. Pass the needle through the top of the prior bead and up through the bottom of the bead just added. Work three more stitches using B. Weave back through the beads ending up exiting the second A you picked up.
Wings
- Add wing connector/starting bead. Pick up 1C. Pass through A. Pick up 1C. Pass through A and the first C picked up.
- Add wing center beads. Pick up 3E. Complete the circuit by passing through C. Pass through all four beads again.
- Frame side one of center beads. Pick up 2B and 1D. Pass through the second hole of E.
- Embellish center beads. Pick up 1F, pass through the next E—twice.
- Frame side two of center beads. Pick up 1D and 2B. Pass through the following beads: 1C, 2B, and 1D.
- Complete outer edge of wing. Pick up 9G, pass through the center E and pick up 7G. Complete the circuit by passing through 1D. Reinforce the wing by passing through all the outside edge beads a couple of times. This includes the beads added in the following steps: 1, 3, 5, and 6.
Note: 9G is for the top half of the wing and 7G is for the bottom. If for some reason you start step six from the bottom frame, then reverse the order. This means you would pick up 7G first and then 9G. - Prepare to add the second wing. Weave your needle to the C bead on the opposite side of the body.
- Repeat steps two through six.
- Secure the butterfly wings to the body. Use the 2B from the bottom frame. Weave your needle through the beads so that it is exiting one of the beads. Pass through the closest A, the 2B on the opposite side and back to your starting point.
Ring
Blue Butterfly Ring—Peyote Stitch Band
Stopper bead is a temporary bead that is used to prevent project beads from falling off the thread. Choose a contrasting bead that is a couple sizes larger than the ones with which you are working.
- On 4’ piece of thread, pick up the stopper bead and pass through it again a couple of times going in the same direction. Pick up 4B.
- Pick up 1B bead skip the first B and pass the needle through the next B. You will pick up 1B, skip 1B, and pass through the next B.
- Continue working in the peyote stitch until the band is long enough to fit comfortably around your finger.
- Zip ends together. Fold ring so that the ends meet in the middle. If the first bead on one end is an up bead, then corresponding spot at the other end should be a down bead. In other words the bead at the ends of you piece should fit together like the teeth on a zipper. Remember you aren’t picking up any new beads, but rather passing through beads from the other end as if you had picked them up. You will be moving the needle in a zig-zag fashion. Repeat the path going in the opposite direction.
Purple Butterfly Ring—Herringbone Stitch Band
If you are unfamiliar with this stitch, then click here to see a ring tutorial using the stitch. For this project just use B to create a band long enough to fit around your finger. Then connect the two ends following the thread path of the stitch.
Butterfly Ring Assembly
Decide how you want the butterfly to rest on your hand. I chose at an angle. Sew butterfly to ring. Weave in thread ends and trim.