https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/simple-beaded-platypus • Posted by Christine L.
I'm trying to make all of my boyfriend's favorite animals out of beads, so here's a platypus. This has to be the easiest beading project I've ever attempted before, and if you don't have as many distractions as I did trying to make this you can probably finish it in half an hour or less. My inspiration for the color and pattern was the Ty Beanie Baby Patti the Platypus.
I'm trying to make all of my boyfriend's favorite animals out of beads, so here's a platypus. This has to be the easiest beading project I've ever attempted before, and if you don't have as many distractions as I did trying to make this you can probably finish it in half an hour or less. My inspiration for the color and pattern was the Ty Beanie Baby Patti the Platypus.
Follow this beading pattern - this is the bill, head, neck, and a small part of the body of the platypus.
Now you're ready to add the first pair of legs! Take the end of your wire on one side and string 6 beads onto it, to get something like this.
Now fold your wire over, and string it back through the first of the six beads - the one that's a different color. DO NOT string it through any of the other beads! I recommend keeping three beads on one side of the wire, and two on the other side after you do this. Pull tight, keeping the brown bead close to the body of the platypus. You should have something that looks like this.
Do the same thing to the other side, and notice you'll end up with the wires in about the same place as they were before. Now you can go on beading like normal.
Bead up to this point, and then stop! This is where you put your second pair of legs on. Follow the instructions from the first pair.
After the second pair of legs, you just need one more row of five beads. Feel free to continue if you want, but I thought this was the best stopping point. Tie a knot in the wire and cut off the extra. Congrats - you have now finished your platypus! More experienced beaders would probably just find it easier to follow this pattern.