Beaded Pig Pattern by Allegra

Welcome to the 3-D beaded pig pattern instructions! If you have any difficulty following this tutorial, please post a comment at the bottom of the page on which you are stuck, and we'll do our best to help!

Beaded Pig Pattern

Before you begin ...

Materials: 2.5 meters of fishing line 149 round plastic beads of desired size, or seed beads for a smaller pig; divided into the following colour scheme: 130 beads of the main colour (in these instructions, purple beads) 13 beads for ears, tail and nose (in these instructions, blue beads) 6 beads for eyes and hoofs (in these instructions, black beads) Time required: About 2 hours Techniques: Beadweaving, right angle weave Difficulty: Easy

Step 1

Step 1:Welcome to the beaded piggie instructions!! I have just finished adding arrows and bead numbers to all the pictures, and I am now in the process of posting all the words! This is the first ever beading pattern on this website to use bead numbers instead of color-coded dots to depict the beads! It was the suggestion of a dear loyal visitor of this site called Laura, that numbers are clearer and more meaningful than dots. So let's try it! I have done my best to ensure that the bead numbers are consistent from picture to picture, so you can tell which bead is which. Whenever there is a string of unmarked beads between two numbered beads, assume that the numbers count up between them. Okay, here we go!

The picture tells you to "start here". "Here" refers to the posterior (yes, the buttocks) of the pig. This will be the first circle of beads that we make to start the beaded pig pattern. It consists of 8 beads, so it's a rather large circle. Depending on the bead size that you use, you'll be able to stick your finger into your pig's buttocks once you have made him! (but make sure your kids aren't watching)...

Step 2

Step 2:True to what I just told you, the unlabelled beads in this diagram count up between the labelled ones. So, all you su doku masters, can you tell where beads 2 to 7 are? This is our circle of 8 beads to start the new pig pattern's posterior. Simply string 8 plastic beads onto the fishing line, and cross the last bead added with the other end of the fishing line. It is important to note that you are using 1 piece of fishing line with two ends, not two separate strings. However, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, I will from now one refer to one end of the fishing line as "the red string", and to the other end as "the black string". However, they are one and the same piece of fishing line. The red arrow depicts "the red string" and the black arrow depicts "the black string". The string colors are consistent from picture to picture.

Step 3

Step 3:Now add beads 9 to 12 onto the red string. Thread through bead 12 going in the opposite direction with the black string. We've made the second bead circle, which consists of 5 beads (beads 8 to 12).

Step 4

Step 4:After pulling tight on the fishing line ends, you can see more clearly the circle of 5 beads above the circle of 8 beads. Now thread the red string through bead 1, as shown in the diagram. This bead is already found in our pig pattern, as it is one of the original 8 beads of the first bead circle. To the black string, thread beads 13 to 15. These are new beads to be added to the pattern.

Step 5

Step 5:This step is very easy! All you have to do is "cross" bead 15, that you just added to the pattern. Thread the red string through bead 15 in the opposite direction from the black string (on which you have already strung bead 15 in the previous step). Pull tight to make a brand new circle of 5 beads!