The Martha Stewart Beaded Wreath Project
Posted by learntobead on April 18, 2020
Supplies needed:
8″ — 10″ floral wreath styrofoam form
3 or 4 sizes of round druk beads (6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm)
Straight pins like you would use when sewing
Red nail polish (to paint over the pin heads)
Red wrapping tape or ribbon for wrapping the styrofoam form
Wide ribbon or cloth for a bow
The Martha Stewart Wreath
In 1999, Martha Stewart, on her TV show, demonstrated how to make a Christmas Wreath, using round druk beads. (“Druk” means plain, smooth, roundish beads.) And she started an avalanche of orders. Her powers to send millions of women to their bead stores was, and still is, enormous. So big, in fact, that it is difficult to visualize. With this project, there were not enough red druk beads in the entire world to fill the demand in 1999 and several years afterward.
This first year saw over 2800 orders to our Land of Odds website. We were able to fill about 1700 of them before the beads started running out. In both 1999 and 2000, (and now, by this time, the instructions also had been published in a Martha Stewart Christmas Projects book), our suppliers ran out of the 10mm size druks around October, and we were unable to fill orders past the first few days of December. The 10mm beads started coming back in stock in February or March. The 12mm size ran out soon after, but wasn’t available again until much later. (NOTE: There are 25mm in an inch.)
Traditionally, there has never been a large supply of larger beads — 10mm and 12mm — in any color, because the main purpose of beads is to be used in jewelry, and these larger sizes tend to be heavy, and usually not in style. When a particular bead in size and color runs out, it usually takes 3 or more months before it is back in stock.
This is because these beads come from the Czech Republic and must be imported, and also because every color, type and size of bead is not always in production all the time. Beads are usually produced from lightest to darkest. That is, they try to make clear and light colors first in the kiln, and gradually over the course of a few months make darker and darker beads. In this way, they can use the kiln for the longest period of time before having to clean it out.
Martha Stewart provided one set of directions in 1999, and a new set of directions in 2000. In both, we believe she underestimated the number of beads needed, so with some interpretation, your two design choices are:
Design Option A. 300 each of 6mm, 8mm and 10mm for a 10-inch wreath (the original 1999 version)
Design Option B. 200 each of 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm for an 8-inch wreath (the new 2000 version)
We have a personal preference for choice “A”.
Colors: Ruby (also called Siam) is the color of choice. A slightly lighter Light Siam works well also. For a contrast, either Red Opal or Garnet will work.
Red is one of the most expensive colors to make, so there are few color choices in this area for the druk line of round beads. Many of the reds that exist are very close in color in this particular bead, so do not provide much if any contrast. We offer ruby (also called siam), and suggest either garnet (very dark, almost black), and/or red opal (a translucent red), as workable contrasting or complimentary colors. There is a cherry red, but this doesn’t have the same effect as the transparent and translucent colors. There is also a dark ruby (or dark siam, sometimes called light garnet) which we do not offer.
Using the smaller 4mm beads, such as in a 4–6–8mm configuration, doesn’t work very well. It doesn’t look realistic enough.
NOTE: It is also important to get your styrofoam wreath form. Stores run out of these as well. Try these types of places: Wal-Mart, K-Mart, craft stores, floral shops and floral supply places. We prefer the 10-inch wreath that is a half dome in shape. On this wreath, you only cover the domed part, not the back of the wreath. You can also use a completely round (tube) wreath, which you would cover entirely with beads.
Other Articles of Interest by Warren Feld:
Best Way To Thread Your Needle
Bead Stringing With Needle and Thread
Turning Silver and Copper Metals Black: Some Oxidizing Techniques
Color Blending; A Management Approach
Cleaning Sterling Silver Jewelry: What Works!
What Glue Should I Use When Making Jewelry?
When Choosing Colors Has You Down, Check Out The Magic Of Simultaneity Effects
When Your Cord Doesn’t Come With A Needle…What You Can Do
What To Know About Gluing Rhinestones
Know Your Anatomy Of A Necklace
How Does The Jewelry Designer Make Asymmetry Work?
How To Design An Ugly Necklace: The Ultimate Designer Challenge
I hope you found this article useful. Be sure to click the CLAP HANDS icon at the bottom of this article.
Also, check out my website (www.warrenfeldjewelry.com).
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Visit Land of Odds online (https://www.landofodds.com)for all your Martha Stewart Christmas Wreath, as well as other jewelry making supplies.
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