Green Woman

As you make the green woman, refer to the illustration of the green man. Some of the beads in the illustration will vary for the woman; refer to the photo as a guide. For the figure's legs, torso, and head, refer to illustration A. When you create the arms, see illustration B. For the skirt, refer to illustration C.

See a larger version of the finished green woman.

1. Cut two 8-inch lengths of 26-gauge wire. Using round-nose pliers, make a loop at one end of each wire. Make legs: Slide a 2 mm bead onto one wire for toes, securing it against the loop. Add an oval bead for a foot, a 2 mm bead for an ankle, a long oval bead for lower leg, a 3 mm bead for knee, and a teardrop bead for thigh. Repeat process to make the other leg.

2. Thread wires horizontally through a 6 mm bead, as shown. Bring the wire ends over the top of the bead, and twist to secure. Bend wires to shape feet and legs as desired.

3. Add the peplum bead (pleated disk) and torso bead over twisted portion of wire. Add a 3 mm bead for the neck; twist the two wires together. Add a 10 mm round bead for the head; cut one wire so that the trimmed end is covered by head. Slide a glass flower bead and a 2 mm bead onto remaining wire end for hat. Using round-nose pliers, make a loop at end of wire. Fit end into top of bead to secure.

4. Make arms: Cut a 6-inch length of 26-gauge wire. Using round-nose pliers, make a loop at one end. Slide a 2 mm bead onto the wire for a hand, a long oval bead for a lower arm, a 2 mm bead for an elbow, and a silver diamond for an upper arm.

5. Twist open end of wire tightly around body, just under neck bead; then continue in reverse order to make other arm. Trim wire, and make a loop at end to secure beads. Bend wire to shape hands and arms as desired.

6. Make skirt: Cut a 32-inch piece of 30-gauge tinned copper wire. Thread on one green bugle bead, two 4 mm silver beads, then another bugle bead, leaving 5 inches of wire on one end. Bring the two wire ends together, forming a triangle, and twist to secure-make sure the beads are tight. Feed long end of wire back through the second bugle bead. Bend wire 90 degrees, and add two more silver beads followed by a bugle bead. Twist again at top, and feed wire back through the bugle bead. Repeat this process, using a total of 10 bugle beads. After the last bugle bead, bend wire at 90 degrees, and slide on two more silver beads.

7. Fit the skirt around the body. Thread the remaining wire through the first bugle bead from the bottom. At top of bead, pull wire tightly to secure waist of skirt, and then twist together wire ends to secure. Trim remaining wire.

Sources
Wire for body: 26-gauge tinned copper (TC), $2.99 for 15 yards, and wire for skirt: 30-gauge tinned copper (TC), $2.99 for 15 yd., from Artistic Wire, 630-530-7567 or artisticwire.com. Hat: crystal (No. 9399GB), $3.30 for 10, and skirt: 10 green bugle silver-lined peridot (No. 1977GB), $1.80 for 10 grams, from Ornamental Resources, ornabead.com. Head: 10 mm silver bead (No. 1210), $1.65; upper arms: 2 small silver diamond beads (T69NK), $2 for 12; torso: silver bead (T10NK), 20 cents; lower arms and legs: 4 silver beads (No. 2275), $1.50 for 12; feet: 2 silver oval beads (No. 22752NK), $1.50 for 12; thighs: 2 small silver teardrops (L713NK), 30 cents each; peplum: silver disk bead (No. 187 NK), 40 cents; hips: 6 mm silver ball, $4.80 per strand; skirt trim: eighteen 4 mm silver balls, $3.50 per strand; neck and knees: three 3 mm silver balls, $2.80 per strand; and elbows, hands, ankles, toes, and top of hat: nine 2 mm silver balls, $2.50 per strand; from Toho Shoji, 212-868-7465 or tohoshoji-ny.com.