Rose Petal Beads

"I have some wooden beads that are carved to look like roses. Is that what you mean?"

No. These are beads that are actually made from rose petals.

"Rose petals would dry up and get dark-looking if you used them on a necklace or something."

That is the plan. These beads will dry and get very dark (sometimes black). They will also have the beautiful fragrance of the roses for many years.

Rose petal beads were often made and cherished as memories of blossoms from a grandfather's garden or a bridal bouquet. You can try it with petals from discarded roses at the local flower shop or from your own yard. If you get them from your yard, remember that they will smell most like roses if the petals are gathered in the early morning just after the dew has dried. It is fine to use the petals that have already dropped onto the ground, as long as you trim off the brown edges. We will need the soft, juicy, and colorful parts. A good amount to use is about 6 cups full.

Run these petals through a food grinder (you should ask permission to do this, of course) until the mixture looks a little like sloppy clay. Put this odd mess in a glass jar and cover the opening with a lightweight towel.

Now, regrind this stuff every day (you can even add more petals before each grind -- hey, now you know what people are talking about whenever they talk about the "daily grind!"). This paste should become thicker until when you squish it around with your hands, it is a little like working with play dough.

You will need some cardboard and rustproof straight pins. Take a small bit of the rose dough and roll it into a ball about green-pea size. Ease a straight pin through the middle of it, and stick the loaded pin into the cardboard. Be sure the bead itself doesn't touch the cardboard; otherwise, the beads will dry to the cardboard. A person would look awfully funny running around with pieces of cardboard on rose beads strung around their necks, don't you think?

Now, the waiting begins. It usually takes 3 or 4 days for these beads to dry. If you have a lot of moisture in the air where you live, it may take a little longer.

Once your beads have dried, you can gently remove the straight pins and polish the beads with a soft, lint-free cloth until they really shine. Remember that they will be dark. The rose colors are not preserved, but the scent sure will be.

Finally, use beading thread, dental floss, or fishing line and a small-eyed needle to string your beautiful beads into a necklace, bracelet, anklet, keychain, or whatever you can imagine. Once you knot your string, you can coat the knot with clear fingernail polish or clear-drying glue to make sure the knot stays.

As you wear the beads, they will darken even more. You can shine them once or twice a month and really make them look like polished jewels. The best part is that when you wear them, you will always smell like spring and summer -- even when you are playing in the snow.