Lucite Flowers

I’m still in the throngs of Spring fever, so I thought we could indulge in a Beadin’ Path favorite… Lucite flowers! They’re simple in design but can make a huge impact when you incorporate them into your jewelry. Who knew these pastel petals could pack some punch?

A chitty chat about Lucite

If you’d like to know the specific dish on Lucite flowers, then check out Heather’s blog called Confessions of a Plastic Snob: Lucite and Plastic Beads Defined. There’s a great paragraph that explains why some of these Lucite lovelies are labeled as vintage and some are contemporary, as well as the explanation of what Lucite actually is. Definitely worth the read.

Flowers come to life!

But what do I do with them, you may ask. Do you look at them and see a big question mark? Don’t worry, in a bit you won’t. There are some incredibly talented designers out that are mixing and matching techniques to create some really gorgeous jewelry. You can consider what these designers are doing and let it inspire you, and there are a few ways you can make your designs truly your own.

A touch of originality

Want your flowers to be like no others? Try this… change or alter the color of your flowers by using Rit dye. Just warm a pan of water and let them soak away until it’s  your desired color. You can mix your own colors by using a pinch of this color and a pinch of that color, also! You can make a thick paste out of Rit and then paint it onto the edges of your flower for a short while, and then rinse. You’ll get flowers that have a two-tone effect.

Add a bit of glitz

Lucite flowers look great with small flat back Swarovski crystals glued to them. Use a tiny drop of E-6000 on a toothpick to place your glue where you wish to place a crystal, then use tweezers to drop the crystal into place. Cluster them up in the center of a flower, or place a random few on some petals for a twinkling bloom.

Chain reaction

I love the look of a few links of chain spilling out of the inside of a flower, with beads at the ends. It gives great movement and the chain is a nice contrast to the flower. Do them in clusters  for a pretty impact.

Fleur for the ear

One of the greatest things about Lucite flowers for earrings is that the light is able to pass through them and they just simply illuminate! Especially the darker colors. The lighter colors are some of the prettiest pastel shades. And the matte finish on them transforms them into cool frosty textures, or high contrast against metals, or compliments with fibers. There’s no wrong way to do it.

FYI

You may notice as you’re looking through our flowers that some say they’re vintage and some are listed as contemporary. The reason for this is that the vintage ones really are vintage, and the contemporary ones are flowers made currently with the same molds. Just passing this info along since you may be selling your jewelry and you may want to inform your buyers of what they’re getting.

Spring just an arms length away… on your bracelet!

Hopefully you’ll be able to gather up a burst of ideas and design some of your own unique jewelry so that you’ll soon be adorned with flowers galore! They’re pretty, irresistible and tempting, and will make you feel like they’re hope at the end of the snow tunnel. Happy designing!

Resources…

These Etsy designers… Destiny’s creations, Traci Sims Designs, Hard Candy Gems, Fitzy Sparrow, June Shin, Urban Legend, Eve Likes It, Pleasure Arts, Betsyandiya, Vineyard Creek, Five Little Gems.  And these Beadin’ Path designers: Heather DeSimone, Katrina Anderson, Kristin Burgess.