St. Paddy’s sparkle, any‑day charm. Stitch petite four‑leaf clovers in 10/0 PRECIOSA rocailles using easy brick stitch, then hang a row of them on delicate chain. We keep bead sizes in metric/aught; all lengths include metric + inches so you can craft in either language.
Materials & Tools
- Size 10 seed beads Silverlined Dark Green (10SB484R) — about 8 g
- Size 10 seed beads Silverlined Green (10SB482R) — about 4 g
- Thread & Needles: beading thread; size 10–12 beading needles
- Chain: fine gold chain 45 cm (≈17.7 in)
- Jump rings: 7 mm (≈0.28 in) — 9×
- Clasp: lobster + counter ring
- Tools: 2× flat‑nose pliers; wire cutters; scissors
Difficulty: ●●○ Technique: brick stitch Finished necklace: about 46 cm (≈18.1 in) (adjust to measure)
Make One Leaf (Brick Stitch)
- Start row. Thread 80 cm (≈31.5 in) and pick up 2× R10A; pass back through the first to sit side‑by‑side.
- Row 2. Pick up 1× R10A + 1× R10B, stitch under the top thread bridge of row 1, then up through the new R10B; add 1× R10A under the same bridge and up through it.
- Row 3. Work across: add R10A + R10B at the far bridge, then R10B at the near bridge, and R10A at the near bridge again to complete the row.
- Rows 4–5. Begin each row by adding 2 beads together, then add beads 1 at a time; place 2 beads at the first and last bridges and 1 bead at the interior bridges to widen the leaf.
- Top decrease. To shape the tip, work a decrease row: add R10A + R10B, skip the final bridge from the previous row, stitch under the next bridge and back through R10B; then add R10A at the next bridge.
- Travel. Pick up 3× R10A to travel to the base; reinforce the opposite side, work a matching decrease on that side, then travel back down with 3× R10A. Leave both the working and tail threads attached.
For additional leaves, use about 45 cm (≈17.7 in) of thread per leaf and leave a 15 cm (≈5.9 in) tail.
Assemble a Clover Motif (4 Leaves)
- Join leaves. With the long thread from leaf 1, stitch the bottom 3 rows of two leaves together. Attach the third leaf with one of the shorter working threads, then attach the fourth leaf with the remaining short thread(s).
- Weave & tighten. Tie off and trim all short threads, keeping knots inside the R10B beads (not the outer R10A). With the long thread, carefully travel around the outside edges to firm the motif.
- Center cinch. Pass through the 4× R10A at the base of the leaves (through the first one again) and tension to draw the leaves into a neat four‑leaf clover. Tie off and trim.
Necklace Assembly
- Make 7 clovers (or your preferred number).
- Cut chain to 45 cm (≈17.7 in). With 7 mm (0.28 in) jump rings, hang the center clover from the middle chain link by passing the ring through the bead gap between rows 6 and 7 of the motif.
- Space the remaining clovers—3 on each side—using jump rings; alternate hanging them from the left or right side of the leaf tip for playful variety.
- Finish with a jump ring at one chain end and a jump ring + clasp at the other.
Variations & Tips
- Earrings: hang a single clover from ear wires using a 4–5 mm ring.
- Bracelet: string 5 clovers on chain or cord sized to 16–19 cm (6.3–7.5 in) wrists.
- Thread color: choose Smoke/Green so bridges disappear between beads.
Design credit: Preciosa Ornela / Kerrie Slade. Instructions adapted and paraphrased for clarity for the Shipwreck Beads blog.
