Saturday, July 28, 2018

Rose Petal Beads

Rose Petals
Here's a glimpse into a five day process of making fragrant rose petal beads (perfect for rosary or any kind of prayer/meditation jewellery). This a time-consuming process that requires daily attention, but it's very satisfying to create something from garden to the finished product.

Rose Petal Beads, Day 1
Here the rose petals are beginning to cook with some water and a binding gum. I am not disclosing which kind because I followed a recipe with gum arabic and I was not happy with the results to added another gum at the end. In other words: this is a work in progress and I'm not sure which gum really is the best. When I know something, I'm happy to share it (most of the time). When I'm not sure I would rather not mislead you.

Rose Petal Beads, Day 3
Day 3 or so of rose petal cooking...

Rose Petal Beads, Day 4
More stewing on day 4. The rose petals are not broken down yet so I've decided to grind them in a food processor.

Rose Petal Beads, Day 4
Now it's a nice paste! But still not gooey enough.

Rose Petal Beads, Day 4
Trying to make a bead (and it wasn't formed well enough, which is why I added more gum on the last day).
Rose Petal Beads, Day 5
Day five, time for more cooking and finally the fun part: Forming the beads!

Rose Petal Beads, Day 5
Piercing the rose beads, one a time. Nails that I stick into a  scrap of foam (styrofoam would probably be a better choice but I didn't have anything handy).

Rose Petal Beads, Day 5
The rose petal beads were left to dry on the nails for about a week (depending on the humidity levels, this can take less time). Make sure to twist them a bit on the nail so they don't completely stick to i.

Rose Petal Beads, Off the Nails
Coming off the nails...
Rose Petal Beads, Off the Nails
And... voila! Now I just need to decide which kind of jewellery I want to make out of them.



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