Pattern for Decorated Tea Ball from BJ's Craft Supplies - Beaded Tea Ball - Free Pattern

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• 1 Metal Tea Ball
• 250 - 6 mm faceted beads, color of your choice, shown here in Crystal.
• 300 - 3mm gold or silver plated beads,
• 76 - 8mm gold or silver cup sequins
• 2 pkg (375 pc per pkg) Tiny Assorted Fruit Beads. Note: there will be many left over.
• Beading needle and sturdy beading thread
• Craft Glue

1. Separate the 2 pieces of your tea ball and put the top aside for now, then thread your long beading needle with a long a piece of thread.

2. Thread your gold or silver 3mm bead and tie it as close to the end of your thread as possible. Put a drop of glue on this bead to hold it securely.

3. Go through the bottom hole from the inside of the bottom part of your tea ball pulling the 3mm gold bead down tight up to this hole. On the outside thread an 8mm gold or silver cupped sequin so the cupped side is always toward the tea ball. Following the sequin repeat with a pattern of *3mm bead then 6mm faceted bead,* beginning with a 3mm bead and ending with a 3mm bead until there are 4 of the 6mm faceted beads on your thread. Then thread a leaf bead, 4 fruit beads, and another leaf bead to finish the length. With your needle go back through the last fruit added and then all the way back down through each bead, through the sequin into the inside of the tea ball.

4. With your needle move to the next row and work a new dangle piece into each hole. Vary your leaf  and fruit sequence at the end of each dangle. Be sure to make a few dangles with just leaves. Continue filling all the holes of the bottom of the tea ball in this manner.

5. When the thread on your needle gets too short to make the next dangle anchor it on the inside with a 3mm bead and glue. Knot off on the inside of the tea ball

6. Remove the chain and hook from the top of the tea ball cap. Save the hook, and make a dangle as described in Step 3. Add the hook back into your top dangle, then continue to fill all holes in your tea ball top.

Finish off with a piece of ribbon bow if you wish. Let dry overnight.

Fill with cloves (not the powder type), potpourri, cinnamon sticks, soap flakes, or other fragrance item.

Try variations of this pattern, using colors and sizes of beads instead of fruit at the end of each dangle.