Mouse Brooch Bead Embroidery Tutorial

You asked me if I could create a Mouse Brooch bead embroidery tutorial for you. It is my pleasure to help you!

This cute little mouse is the third in the Mice series.

After making the blue mouse, and the pink mouse, I improved and simplified many of the elements, but I would like to remind you, that bead embroidery is for patient beaders mostly. I am sure you already know that!

I hope you find all three parts of the video tutorial fun to watch and easy to follow. After all, it is my first bead embroidery tutorial. Feel free to comment, and let me know what you liked about it.

Supplies and Materials

Beads

• 9 mm Round Rhinestone with setting – 2
• (I used item P1028 ss40 from Toho Suji)
• 5 mm Preciosa Round Pearl Lavender – 16 for the ears and 1 for the tail (17 total)
• Seed beads size 15
• 3 mm faceted roundels – 1 strand
• 5 X 7 mm faceted glass crystal beads by Preciosa – 3
• Seed beads size 11 in 3 colors
• Druck beads Czech 6 mm – 2 (for the eyes)
• Czech firepolish beads 4 mm – 6
• Glass pearl 6 mm – 2
• Seed beads size 8

Materials

• Bead backing – 3 X 3 in
• Ultrasuede – 3 X 3 in
• Cardboard 3 X 3 in 1 mm thick or less
• 24 ga craft wire – about 6 in
• Nylon beading threads in colors corresponding to your bead colors
• Glue E6000
• Findings:
• Pin back 1.5 in
• Crimp – 1
• A Crimp Cover – 1

Tools

• Scissors
• Ruler
• Permanent marker in color corresponding to your bead colors
• Pliers
• Crimp pliers
• Cutting Pliers of your choice

Mouse Brooch Bead Embroidery Tutorial

Part I

Step 1

Download the mouse pattern outline.

Cut out the first pattern as shown in the video.

Please note, the second pattern outline is for those who are interested in making the mouse with a waterdrop shape of crystals for the ears.

Step 2

Transfer the drawing onto the backing material using a permanent color marker

Tip

Using ruler, mark centers of the ear circles and the centerline of the mouse body.

Cut the corners of your backing (link)

Step 3

Sew the round rhinestones onto the backing. These are going to be the centers of the mouse ears.

Step 4

Sew the 6 mm pearls around the rhinestones. I doubled the thread for this step. Add 8 pearls around each rhinestone.

Step 5

Add 5-7 seed beads size 15 in between pearls.

The number of seed beads depends on the manufacturer. I tried 7 and 6 beads and ended up using 5.

Part II

Step 6

If your backing material is lighter than beads, you might want to color it. Use a permanent color marker to color the area where the beads are going to be stitched.

Step 7

Using doubled thread stitch 3 mm faceted roundelle beads.

You can do so by using the backstitching technique, or you can try stitching several beads at a time, and then stitch in between them, fixating the main thread. In the video tutorial, Step 7 illustrates the backstitch technique, and Step 7a shows how to stitch several beads at a time, and then stitch the main thread to the backing.

Tip

If you decide you like stitching in step 7a, you need to be careful not to pick up any seed beads size 15 when penetrating the backing material. These seed beads in between 6 mm pearls can easily get in a way.

Step 8 (Optional)

Add one seed bead size 15 in between faceted roundells

Step 9

Stitch around the roundells, using seed beads size 11 and backstitch technique. Here you are just repeating the shape of a circle, and adding the contour to the mouse’s ear. Use a single thread.

Step 10

Stitch on the eyes of the mouse – two 6 mm beads (I used iridescent Druck beads.

Part III

Step 11

Stitch the 6 mm pearl marking the center of the “spine”.

Step 12

Stitch 5 X 7 faceted beads.

You will need two beads. Fixate them along the spine line, positioning the wider end closer to the pearl.

Step 13

Stitch 4 mm firepolish beads. You will need two beads.

Position them on each end of the “spine”, next to faceted 5 X 7 beads.

Step 14

Fill the mouse’s body using seed beads size 11 and Picot stitch technique

I used two different tones of the color of seed beads for the more textured effect, but it is not necessary. You can stick with one color. It will look good, too.

Step 15

Stitch 4 mm firepolish bead marking the nose of the mouse.

Make sure the bead is centered. And remember to keep the stitches inside the mouse’s body, not beyond the contour lines.

Step 16

Fill in the blanks with seed beads size 15 (Optional) and continue filling the body using Picot stitch.

It is up to you if you need to do that. I don’t like to see the material behind the beads, so I stitched the smaller seed beads everywhere I thought it is necessary.

Step 17

Cut out the embroidered part of the mouse.

Be careful not to cut any threads, so stay away about 0.5 mm from the bead line.

Make corrections to create a smooth contour line.

Step 18

Cut about 6 in of 24 gauge craft wire and bend it to form the tail

Twist the wire if needed to fixate it temporarily before you stitch it onto the material.

Step 19

Sew the base of the tail to the backing material.

It is necessary only to keep the tail in place before you get to glue the materials together.

Part IV

Step 20

Create a cardboard shape of the brooch. Make it smaller than the actual embroidery by about 3-5 mm.

Trace the contour of the mouse onto a piece of cardboard. Then draw the second contour line inside distancing it about 3-5 mm from the original one.

Step 21

Prepare a piece of Ultrasuede material for the back of the brooch.

Step 22

Glue the cardboard shape to the embroidery.

Wait till the glue hardens. About 30 minutes.

Step 23

Glue the pin to the cardboard.

Choose the position and the direction of the brooch pin back that is more comfortable for you.

Let it dry.

Step 24

Cut out the space for the brooch pin back in the Ultrasuede fabric

Step 25

Glue the Ultrasuede fabric to the cardboard carefully. Make sure you are positioning the fabric the right way – the whole you made previously must be against the corresponding parts of the pin back.

Step 26

Cut the fabric aligning it with the contour of the embroidery.

Step 27

String beads onto the wire creating the tail.

I started with the 6 mm pearl bead, then 3 and 4 mm beads, then seed beads, and then ended with a 5 X 7 mm faceted bead.

Step 28

Fixate the crimp at the end of the tail, and cover it with a crimp cover.

Cut off the excess wire.

Step 29

Prepare a separate thread for the beaded edge

Make a small knot and attach it to the bead backing material where you want to start stitching.

Step 30

Using an edge stitch and seed beads size 8, create a beaded border.

I used Sunshine edge stitch, as Jamie Cloud Eakin called it in one of her books about bead embroidery techniques.

Make sure to penetrate both: bead backing and the Ultrasuade material when stitching though.

After you finish stitching, reinforce and hide the thread in the beads.

Cut off the remains of the thread and check for other threads.

The mouse brooch is a fun way to learn and experiment with bead embroidery techniques. The techniques I used are relatively simple to practice and remember. I hope you will enjoy the process of making the bead embroidered mouse brooch!

Happy beading!

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Happy Beading!