Description
My Queen bee is an original design that I created for the beehive box I entered into Bead Dreams 2018. I know a lot of people have been wanting a pattern for this. So, here is the bee. Keep a look out for the butterfly and some flowers too!
Materials
You will need seed beads in black, yellow and crystal for your Queen bee.
My original box included two sizes of bee. So, I used size 11 seed beads for the Queen bee inside the box. She measures about 1″ (2.5cm).
Then I worked with size 15 seed beads for the little bees that are the drawer and lid handles. They are about two thirds the size of the Queen.
You could also scale this up and use size 8 seed beads. So, the choice is yours! Just make sure you stick to the same brand across all the colours. If you’re wondering why I advise this, then check out this blog>>
You will also need some beading thread of your choice.
Techniques and Experience
This beading project uses circular and tubular Peyote, plus basic brick stitch. I have assumed you know something of the techniques. But I have also included plenty of diagrams to show thread paths in the instructions.
If you are new to any of the techniques, you can download free tutorials from this website.
So, this pattern is really ideal for intermediate and beyond. If you’re an ambitious beginner, feel free to give it a try also.
If you are new to the techniques, then working with larger beads will really help you to see how they work. You can then scale down to smaller beads later when you feel more confident.
About the Queen Bee Beading Pattern
As I mentioned, my Queen bee – and the other bees – are a key part of my ‘Visit to the Beehive’ entry. If you would like to find out more about how this design evolved and see what else I did with it, check out this blog>>
You can get creative with your own bees. They would make really cute brooches, pins or pendants. Or maybe you join several on a necklace. Perhaps pair them with a flower pattern too… I’ve included links to a few of those down below.
So, enjoy your bees and don’t forget to let me know what you do with them!
