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| | | Message 2 of 2 in Discussion |
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| | Herbal Beads Equipment
tapestry or carpet thread (smooth, not fuzzy)
a darning needle
a button
a small knife
dental floss (for the finished beads)
a food processor or spice mill (optional)
Ingredients
1/2 cup flowers or herb leaves, fresh or dried
3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
water
10-15 drops essential oil (complimentary to your herbs)
Instructions
If you're using fresh flowers (or fresh scented geranium leaves), take petals and discard the hard parts like stems and such. Try to use only the parts that are aromatic. Process the herbs until they are pureed or very finely chopped. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. If you are using dried herbs, process them the same way or rub them through a sieve to make a powder.
Once you've pureed or finely chopped your plant material, begin adding the all-purpose flour. The amount listed is approximate. You will need more flour if your puree is soupy or your chopped herbs are very moist. You may need less if your plant material is drier or if you use powdered herbs.
If you use powdered plant material or if your plants are dry, you may need to add water. Start with 1 tablespoon and begin mixing the plant/flour mixture.
The dough should be about right when it looks like craft clay for kids (e.g. Playdough). Add a little more flour to the mix if it seems too soft or a teeny bit of water if it seems too stiff. The dough will definitely be too soft if you pull on it and it easily stretches like kneaded bread dough. I do most of my dough mixing right in the food processor, periodically playing with the dough to see if it feels workable.
When the dough seems right, begin by pinching off chunks and shaping them into beads. You'll notice that chopped plant material will cause your beads to look course at this point. They're still quite attractive this way! Another way to make the beads is to roll a chunk into a long tube or snake and then chop off bead-sized bits with a knife.
The dough remains workable for quite some time, but if it starts to feel very dry to the touch, it's starting to harden. Making the amount specified above should keep them from beginning to harden before you're done. If they start, try moistening the surface of the dough very lightly and working the moisture in quickly.
Once the beads are shaped, you can add essential oil to them if you like. Adding the oil sooner usually results in poorer quality beads because the oil evaporates quickly when you mix everything together.
Once your beads are shaped, knot the end of the thread and string it through the bottom of the button. Use enough thread to string your beads with room between them for moving around as they dry. String the beads carefully, being sure they have their holes where you want them (some people may not want the hole to go right through the middle). The beads will shrink slightly as they dry.
Hang the beads in a warm, dry place with plenty of circulation and away from lights. It should take about 3 or 4 days to dry fully. The size of your beads and the weather will make a difference. Be sure to slide the beads on the string every so often to keep them from sticking together or to the string.
When the beads are dry, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to string them together. I've found that dental floss (not tape!) works best for stringing the beads together.
Other Hints and Tips
Fresh, red rose petals from my neighbor's garden turned a lovely bright purple when I mixed the dough and faded to a dark lavender when the dough dried.
Dried, scented geranium leaves held their scent throughout the dough drying process and required absolutely no essential oil. | |
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