BEADED HEART BOW REPLACEMENT

To top off any present with love.

What you need:

Assorted craft beads in pastel colors:
(to make a medium sized love heart you need approximately 20 beads per love heart)
   7 long narrow beads (Vertical bead hole)
   5 small teardrop shaped beads (Horizontal bead hole)
   8 small narrow teardrop beads (Vertical bead hole)
Utility wire (Gardening wire)
Wire cutters

Warnings:

The wire ends are sharp, so be careful not to scratch yourself.

Steps:

1. Decide on what sized love heart you would like.
2. Cut the wire to the length of the entire love heart plus an extra 2 inches.
3. Fold wire in half.
4. Open slightly to make a V-shape.
5. Thread one small teardrop bead with the horizontal bead hole to the centre of the wire.
6. Thread through other beads alternating between the different bead shapes on one side of the V-shape.
7. Stop threading beads when you get up to the 3/4 mark of the wire.
8. Copy the bead pattern onto the other side of the V-shape.
9. Again stop threading beads at the 3/4 mark.
10. Curve the top half of the 2 wire ends inwards to make the top curves of a love heart.
11. With the unbeaded wire ends pointing down, twist the ends together (like a rubbish bag tie).
12. Cut off half of the excess twist in the middle of the love heart.
13. Wind a long narrow bead with the vertical bead hole, up the excess wire to conceal ends.
14. Adjust love heart shape.
15. Curl over and twist one extra piece of wire to one side of the love heart.
16. Wrap wire around present and cut wire leaving excess for twisting.
17. Curl over and twist the other end of the wire to the other side of the love heart.
18. Again adjust love heart shape.

Tips:

To soften sharp wire edges, dip the wire ends into melted candle wax and allow to harden.
This beautiful beaded heart can also be made as a decoration for large candles or napkin holders.