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How to Make Funeral Flowers Into Beads

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Thai funeral image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com

Making funeral flowers into beads is a way to preserve them forever. They can be made into rosary beads, necklaces or other jewelry or keepsakes for loved ones. It is easy to make beads from flower petals, but the process is time consuming. If you are going to make beads, harvest the petals as soon as possible. Cut flowers are most likely to retain their fragrance if harvested before they wilt.

Remove the petals from the flowers. Choose flowers that are similar in color to make the bead color of your choice. If you wish to make beads of another color, make a separate pile of beads with similarly colored flower petals. But, as you follow the steps, keep in mind that each pile of flower petals must be processed separately.

  • Making funeral flowers into beads is a way to preserve them forever.
  • It is easy to make beads from flower petals, but the process is time consuming.

Add the flower petals to the food processor. Blend them until they are in tiny pieces--less than half the size of grains of rice.

Place the processed flowers into a frying pan. Add enough water to cover the petals and bring it to a simmer (do not allow the water to come to a full boil). Simmer the petals for one hour. Then turn the burner off to allow the petals to return to room temperature. Add more water if needed, then simmer the flower petals for another hour. Continue to heat and cool the flower petals in this manner until the petals lose their individual shape and turn into a thick paste.

  • Add the flower petals to the food processor.
  • Add more water if needed, then simmer the flower petals for another hour.

Put the petal paste into the sieve (a little bit at a time if you have a lot) and press it against the sides of the sieve to remove as much water from the paste as possible.

Shape the flower paste into individual beads by rolling small bits of the petal paste between your fingers or palms. Keep in mind that as the bead dries it will be roughly half the size it is now.

String each bead through the wire. Do not allow any of the beads to touch.

Hang the beads to dry. The time that this will take will vary depending on the humidity in your area. Turn the beads periodically to prevent them from sticking to the wire. To speed the bead's drying time, hang each end of the wire from the top rack of your oven and set the oven to its lowest temperature. The beads are dry when they are as hard as dried beans.

  • Put the petal paste into the sieve (a little bit at a time if you have a lot) and press it against the sides of the sieve to remove as much water from the paste as possible.

Spray the dried beads with a thin coat of spray varnish. Allow them to dry for the manufacturer-recommended amount of time and then remove them from the wire.

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