For a majority, roses are synonymous with sentiments and precious events. They are capable of conveying love, friendship, peace or forgiveness, depending on the color of the petals. These roses often wilt and turn into dust, but they can be made sacred, permanent symbols of the event by being crafted into jewelry petal. This is only possible when the petals are converted into beads. It is often a laborious process to craft rose petals into bead, as patience, attention to detail, and dexterity are usually required.
Usually a long process of heating the petals has to be undertaken, followed by mashing and then drying of the roses until the desired consistency is achieved. The resultant paste is then rolled into the shape of beads or any other type of jewels using hands, with the next step being to dry them. The beads are then stringed into earrings, bracelets or necklaces.
Handmade rose petal beads make for unique jewelry. There is no use of fillers or fixatives, and the jewelry sometimes retains a bit of a fragrance. However, the jewelry petal is always black or dark brown regardless of the original color of the petals because of chemical reactions that are catalyzed by the heating process.
If you own a rose garden, you can turn this into a profitable venture by making your own unique jewelry. There is a simple process of turning the dried petals into beads. It usually takes a few minutes, and you have to harvest and dry about four cups of petals for a long necklace.
You start by putting the dried petals into a blender, either using the same colors or different colors. You then add a cup of water and set the blender to high, followed by five to ten seconds of the mixing process. You have wait until the mixture is thick before squeezing out the water through cheesecloth. The resultant paste should have no dripping water.
After this, you take about a tablespoon of paste between your fingers and compress it, molding it into a round, rectangular, triangular, square or tear shape. You then have to make a hole for stringing purposes by pushing a pin through to the other side. You repeat this process until the mix is over, making the same shape or mixing the shapes for interesting jewelry.
After this, it is necessary to keep rotating the beads, planted on individual pins on a board, quarter-way or half-way. It takes about a week for the beads to shrink and dry. At this stage, they are ready for stringing and you can make your jewelry. You can use your discretion to buff the beads gently using a firm cloth in order to give them some shine, or just leave them with their rough texture. The one temptation you have to fight is using a clear coat or sealant, as you risk destroying the beads’ integrity and prevent the seepage of fragrance whenever the jewelry is handled.
Besides roses, you can also make jewelry petals using other fragrant flower petals. It is also possible to enhance the fragrance of the beads through the addition of essential oil, or enhance color through the addition of natural dyes. Either way, this is a sure way of making money or wonderful gifts while having fun.