Sledge

In order to make a beaded team of Santa Claus, today we will make a sledge.

We will need:
- size 8 seed beads of three colors (I used seed beads of pink, brown and green colors);
- a piece of wire 0.3 mm in diameter 1.7 m long.

As the base pattern for this sledge we will use our pattern of a rocking chair.


First, we should make a seat of the sledge, using the technique of flat parallel weaving. The seat consists of 14 rows, 14 beads in the each row. In the very beginning of weaving place the set of beads for the 1st row a little away from the middle of the wire to get one end of the wire about 15 cm longer than the other one. I made the seat of the sledge out of pink seed beads.

Next, make a backrest of the sledge. Take the longer end of the wire and string onto it 33 brown beads.

Then pass this end of the wire through the first 9 beads from the opposite side of the last row of the seat.

Pull this end of the wire. The last set of beads has formed a circle above the seat. This circle is the outer boundary of the backrest.

Then string onto the same end of the wire 8 green beads

and pass this end of the wire through the 5 beads in the middle of the backrest’s circle.

Pull this end of the wire tight. The last set of beads has formed the inner slat of the backrest.

Next, string onto the same end of the wire 8 green beads

and pass this end of the wire through the beads from 6th to 14th of the last row of the seat (if we count from the other end of the wire).

Pull the wire tight. The backrest of the sledge is completed.

Proceed with making side parts and runners of the sledge. First, make them at one side. String onto any end of the wire 10 brown beads,

hold the last bead and pass this end of the wire backwards through the next 4 beads.

Move all the beads close to the sledge and tighten the wire.

Then string onto the same end of the wire 35 brown beads

and, leading this end of the wire from under the seat, pass it between the 1st and the 2nd rows of the seat.

Pull this end of the wire till the last set of beads presses against the seat and wind this end of the wire around the seat frame between the 1st and the 2nd rows.

Then string onto the same end of the wire 25 brown beads

and, leading the wire downwards, pass it through 6 brown beads on the outer boundary of the backrest that are close to the seat and further through 5 brown beads of the vertical slat between the seat and the runner.

Pull this end of the wire tight

and then pass it through the next 8 beads of the runner in direction to the front part of the sledge.

Next, string onto the same end of the wire 5 brown beads and, leading the wire upwards, pass it between the 9th and the 10th rows of the seat.

Then string onto the same end of the wire 5 green beads and pass the wire through the beads from 12th to 19th of the side fence of the sledge (if we count from the backrest toward the front part of the sledge).

Next, string onto the same end of the wire 4 green beads and, leading the wire downwards, pass it between the 4th and the 5th rows of the seat.

Then string onto the same end of the wire 5 brown beads and pass the wire through the beads from 20th to 27th of the runner (if we count from the 1st row of the seat toward the back part of the sledge).

Pull this end of the wire tight

and fix it by winding 2 or 3 times around a vertical slat between the seat and the runner in the place where the slat is connected to the runner.

Trim off this end of the wire.

In the same way make another side part and a runner of the sledge on the other end of the wire.

The sledge is finished! You can use it in different winter compositions, especially together with Santa’s reindeer.

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