I really like working with Delica seed beads. Since moving to Japan, I’ve worked on so many different Japanese-inspired patterns it’s not even funny.

I should probably do something with those patterns, so I’m slowly writing up instructions and stuff, and I’ll be posting them as I get through them (I have probably close to 50 patterns, so it’s slow going)

To start this off, I thought I’d do something dramatic – how about a large sakura?

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Sakura 桜「さくら」is the Japanese word for cherry blossom. They’re a symbol of Japan, and I can’t decide if they’re more famous than Mt. Fuji, but they certainly are everywhere.

And while I’ve made small sakura before, I have never made one quite this size.

Sorry for the shaking in the video, I still haven’t gotten better, despite all the doctor visits.

Advanced ★★★

This pattern is rated “advanced ★★★” because it uses a brick stitch, which I find to be both challenging to explain, and was one of the harder things I learned how to do. Also, making 3D pieces can be a little frustrating.

There are a lot of video tutorials out there if my instructions are too confusing (I tried to illustrate every step, but it can be hard with something like this… why didn’t I start with a peyote pattern?!)

Materials:

I use Delica beads by Miyuki, since they’re supremely uniform. The colors are just based on what I had on hand, but feel free to substitute your own.

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   Duracoat Galvanized Yellow Gold (DB1833)

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   Matte Crystal AB (DB0851)*
  * I only used this color because it was all I had that looked good with the pink. Feel free to pick something else you like better, or may already have.

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   Dyed Light Rose Silver Lined Alabaster (DB0624)
  • (name changed to “opal baby pink”)

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   Dyed Rose Silver Lined Alabaster (DB0625)
  • (name changed to “opal pink”)
• Beading needles
  • Make sure they’re narrow enough to fit through size #11 beads, they’re tiny! So regular hand sewing/fabric needles won’t work. I also recommend having extra, as they break easy since they’re so tiny.
• Beading thread
  • This is usually a kind of thread that feels a lot like thinner dental floss to me. Usually nylon is the best, but it’s more up to your preference. This is the type I use, but it does fray.
• Scissors
• Patience
  • This may seem silly, but it really is necessary if you’re learning how to do this. I may recommend you start with something easier for a first project (I’ll be uploading some easy ones soon!)

Pattern

You’ll be making five of these petals, and then stitching them together at the end to make your 3D flower. They have the notch in the end, just like a sakura petal does, and they’re really quite pretty.

I have written out both simple instructions, for those of you already familiar with how to brick stitch, and detailed ones, that hopefully will help guide you to learn this new technique!

Full Instructions for Sakura Blossom

You can also download this as a PDF here.

Basic Instructions for Sakura Blossom

For people who already know how to brick stitch and just need an easy guide to follow.