Ganutel is a beautiful geometry made of threads. Flowers using the ganutel technique

Ganutel is an exclusive Maltese handicraft. Originally, ganutel was a technique for making flowers to decorate the altar in Mediterranean monasteries.

On the island of Malta, not far from the coast of Italy, these flowers are still made in monasteries to decorate the altar at the residence of the Pope. In the 40s of the twentieth century, this art was forgotten.

And suddenly, in the late 1990s, this technique was revived thanks to the Maltese Ministry of Culture. Courses on this art have been organized, in which they teach the best masters, collected from all over the island.

The word “ganutel” is pronounced in different ways: “ganitill” or “ganutil”. It comes from the Italian “Canutiglia” - “gimp”, which means “thin spiral thread”.

Flowers made using the ganutel technique have a number of advantages over beaded flowers: they are light and easier to make.

Flowers made using several basic techniques look very elegant.

They turn out shiny, light and elegant. This technique used for making brooches, wreaths, hairpins, for decorating clothes and home interiors. They are often used to create compositions in glass vessels.

The “ganutel” technique is based on braiding wire twisted into a spring with threads of various colors.

Different craftsmen use different design solutions.

Some perform work based on a wire frame, while others wrap threads around the frame and use various colored glass beads, seed beads, and sequins in their work; still others, collecting parts into compositions, complement them with chenille, fillers and supports, placing them in various vases.

Flower using the ganutel technique

To work you will need:
– Thin spiral copper wire
– Silk threads for winding parts
– Beads, beads, pearls
- Small nippers.
- PVA glue
- Scissors
– Knitting needle for socks

Using a petal as an example, we will show the procedure for using the “ganutel” technique.

We need to make springs. To do this, a wire 50 cm long and 0.5 mm in diameter is wound onto a knitting needle, while it is necessary to leave the ends up to 1.5 cm, the turns are laid tightly.

For a flower with 5 petals, you will need 5 springs, which are best done at once, because they will need to be stretched evenly, and the spaces between the turns should correspond to the thickness of the thread.

Then a piece of wire is inserted into the spring and the whole thing is bent into a loop.

The ends of the frame and springs are twisted together. After shaping, the workpiece is ready.

We wrap it with threads and secure the end. The thread should lie evenly and be taut. The winding of the petal should end in the middle upper part of the workpiece.

The thread is lowered down and stretched so that the petal bends.

After drying, trim off excess threads and wire ends.

Ganutel is a type of needlework in which amazing jewelry is created from thin wires and various threads, mainly flowers and earrings. Learning this technique is quite simple, and the materials and tools are quite simple and probably everyone has at home. By the end of the article we will learn how to create flowers, a master class with detailed instructions and photos will help with this.

Story

The art of ganuteli first appeared in South America, in Brazil, where the roots of aquatic plants were wound on sticks while they were raw and dried in the sun. It has reached this day thanks to the nuns of Maltese monasteries, who decorate churches, figurines of saints, Christmas mangers and Easter baskets with flowers using this technique. The altar located in the residence of the Pope is also decorated with these flowers. That is why ganutel is called Maltese handicraft.

The word itself apparently goes back to the Italian "canutiglia", meaning "thin twisted thread." It is also where the Russian “kanitel” comes from - a thin silver or gold thread for embroidery.

More recently, the Maltese government decided to revive and popularize the art of ganuteli: special handicraft courses were opened, taught by the most authoritative teachers on the entire island.

This technique spread throughout the world, reaching Russia. Craftswomen use it to create beautiful wedding decorations, hairpins, brooches, earrings, wreaths and tiaras, various decorative flowers, starting from roses and ending with forget-me-nots.

Materials and technology

The materials used in the Ganutel technique are silk threads, thin spiral-twisted wire, beads and beads. The consumption of materials is very economical, the share of their cost in the final price of the product is only a few percent, while the main part is the author’s time.

The technique is simple, even a child can master it, although, as with any other handicraft, it will require perseverance, patience and accuracy.

There are two types of weaving in total. The first is simpler and therefore more common. This is winding silk threads onto a spiral-twisted wire. This type of ganuteli is similar to isothread.

The second option is more difficult for beginners. In it, beads are strung on a wire. The resulting material is bent into various arcs to form leaves and flower petals.

Ganutel: master class with step-by-step photographs

And here is a master class in which we will make flowers with our own hands using the ganutel technique; we see a photo of a sample below.

To work you will need:

thin copper wire 0.5 mm;
silk, iris or floss threads with shimmer;
green satin ribbon;
knitting needle or hook.

1. Cut off 30-50 cm of wire. We wind it on the hook, making 30 turns.

2. Compress the resulting spring.

3. We make several such preparations.

4. Take one and stretch it in different directions to the required length. In this case, the distance between the turns should correspond to the thickness of the threads. Repeat for the remaining blanks.

5. We bend each spiral in the form of a droplet, twisting unnecessary “tails”.

6. We tie the tip of the thread to the base of the spiral.

7. We lead the thread to the opposite edge, go around the spiral and bring it back.

8. Adhering to this pattern, we braid the wire, each time making a shift to the side.

9. We also make other flower petals.

10. We put them together, twist the legs and wrap the resulting stem.

11. Having wrapped it to the end, we go back to the middle and make a leaf-loop and secure it.

12. Straighten the petals. You can decorate the middle by sewing or placing beads and seed beads on hot glue.

13. Winding threads can be completely different. Like this, for example:

Or, instead of threads, you can use a beaded bottom.

If you are interested in this art, pay attention to the video lessons, they will help you master various subtleties.

A ganutel is a thread twisted with a thin wire, twisted into one whole - a working thread, flexible, obedient, magical) a correctly twisted thread - the base beautiful work, which is pleasant to look at and hold in your hands

For work we will need very few materials and a lot of patience, because... the activity, although interesting, is very monotonous and monotonous) the actual materials onphoto below - metalized floss thread, copper wire, beads for the centers of the petals. You can use any beads, the main thing is to choose even beads so that it looks beautiful in the finished flower. Tools include scissors, thicker wire for the base of the petals, and small or thin-nose pliers and wire cutters.

For greater aesthetics, I use metallic threads; they have a characteristic shine, which makes the wire less noticeable, but in this case, it turned out to be the same color as the threads)

2. Let's start the process) The thread in the skein is usually thick, from several thinner threads, I divide one thread into two, three thin ones each, separate one wire from the bundle, tie a knot at the end of the thread and begin to twist the thread with the wire, it looks like work for spinning wheel)) I'm right-handed, so I take the knot and the end of the wire in left hand, and right hand I start twisting them together. I do absolutely everything by hand, without additional devices, because... for me this is preferable, I know that there is a device to make it easier to twist the thread and wire, but this is not for me) in the photo I tried (very, very hard) to show how to hold the thread and wire and how it will eventually twist.

On the left I have knots, on the right you can see that there is a wire under my hand, and a thread above my hand so that they do not get tangled. We are making a stylized lily, so we need 6 pieces of twisted threads for the flower and two or three threads for the petals, you can make a flower without petals, if it is, for example, a hair hoop, etc. The length of one working thread is needed about a meter, this is for one petal. Twist-twist-twist.....

3. Well, my threads are ready, let's start making the petals. For those who are familiar with the French beading technique, then everything will be simple, we lower our twisted thread in arcs, alternating each turn through the bead. In order for the petal to be stiffer and hold its shape better, I take a thicker wire, absolutely any one. I wind the thread on this wire two or three turns to secure it, collect beads - you can collect any quantity as you like - the more beads in the middle, the more delicate the petal. I collect 15 beads.

4. We make turns of the thread as in the French technique - turn - bead, turn from below, turn - bead, turn from below - until the thread runs out, wrap the tail around the wire, bend the upper piece from the base of the wire inside the petal, inside out more precisely). In this way we make 6 petals for our flower and make leaves in the same way. The middle of the flower can be decorated with beads, whatever bead you like.

5. When all the petals are twisted, collect the flower. First, we twist the three petals that will be in the middle, along with the stamens. Then, in a checkerboard pattern, or in place of the “space” between the petals, we screw the remaining petals in turn. I wrap the stem of the flower with the same thread.

Well, that’s actually the whole secret - that there is no secret)) in the end result we will get a flower like this)

Sources http://losk.moy.su/load/71-1-0-117 and http://stranamasterov.ru/

MASTER CLASS

Now I will share with you a new needlework technique for me - making artificial flowers from wire and floss threads. Let's start with the materials and tools that we will need for this creativity.

Wire
- metal wire springs
- floss threads
- corrugated paper
- PVA glue
- glue brush
- wire cutters
- beads for stamens or beads
- thin wire for stamens

You will also need patience, because needlework requires painstaking work.

To help you, I am posting photos of making flowers step by step.

Petals.

1. Springs.

I was unable to buy ready-made springs. I made them myself.

I bought wire with a diameter of 0.3 cm. in the craft department and wrapped it around thin knitting needle for knitting.

You need to twist it carefully so that all the coils of the spring are the same.
Since making springs is not my thing, my husband came to the rescue. He attached the knitting needle to the drill and quickly wound springs from wire with a diameter of 0.5 cm. The process was less labor intensive, and the resulting wire was better suited for making flowers. And the springs themselves turned out to be more elastic and hold the shape of the petal well.

2. Stretch the spring approximately two or three times. After this, it no longer shrinks. Eg. I took a 10cm spring. and stretched it to 30cm.

If you inadvertently stretched the spring too far, don't despair. Put it back on the knitting needle on which the spring was wound and squeeze. Next time, stretch more carefully.

3. Cut the resulting spring into 3 parts. We get 3 springs of 10cm each.

We carry out all the previous manipulations until we get the required number of blanks for the petals.
I got 50 springs for the petals.

4. Take a piece of wire 0.5 cm thick. approximately 20cm. long, so that after threading it along the entire 10 cm spring, the ends of the wire remain 5 cm long. from each side

5. Make a loop of any shape and twist the free ends of the wire.
You can make an elongated shape, or, on the contrary, a wide petal.

6. We start from the base of the petal by wrapping all the turns of wire one by one with floss threads, without making any gaps.
Having reached the top of the petal, carefully bending it, we stretch the thread along all the turns to the base of the petal

Fasten the thread well. If it is poorly secured, then the threads may begin to come out of the turns of the wire. The petal will be on the verge of collapse. It is better to do everything very carefully so that the quality of the petal does not suffer.

7. Each petal at the base must be wrapped with several turns corrugated paper Green colour. To do this, we cut it into strips of about 1 cm, grease the beginning of the strip with PVA glue, and wrap it around the base of the petal by 1.5 cm. and secure the end of the strip with glue again.

Petals are made for both flowers and leaves using the same technology. They differ only in color and possibly shape.

8. Take a thin wire 10cm long. and string a bead or bead onto it, placing it in the middle. Bring both ends of the wire together and wrap it. This is how a stamen turns out. I made them in bunches of 5, wrapping the stamens together at about a height of 3cm. from a bead.

Flower assembly.

9. Take a bunch of stamens and gather as many petals around it as you like.

I made a flower from 5 petals. You can do 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. As many as you like. After all, it also depends on the shape of the petal and its size. Secure the entire structure well at the base. I wrapped it with strong threads.
Again, wrap the resulting base of the flower with a strip of corrugated paper to a length of 1.5 cm.

Now, just like petals, attach the leaves a little lower
along the stem. I stepped back from the flower petals by 1-1.5cm.
We fix the leaves firmly. I did this again with strong thread.
Now we wrap strips of corrugated paper around the entire stem from the base of the leaves to the end of the wire.

Can you think of something else for these colors? I am sure that any creativity involves an explosion of imagination.

I decorated my bouquet in a basket. You can arrange these flowers one at a time. I even like single flowers more. You can attach it to a frame or make a composition on a soft pillow. Get creative. There is a basis.

A ready-made basket with homemade flowers as a gift.

This master class will serve as an excellent idea for congratulatory crafts and gifts for March 8th. Today we will make our own flowers using the ganutel technique. The work requires very little: wire, thread and a little time.

Accessories:
gamma 0.4mm
Aluminum wire 1mm
Threads (to your taste)
Mother of pearl bead 8 mm 1 piece
Tools: knitting needle, scissors Assembly:
Using a knitting needle, we will wind the wire in a spiral. The number of turns is determined by eye.

We remove the winding from the knitting needle and pass the aluminum wire into it. The length of the aluminum wire should be slightly longer than the winding. Also, the length of the wires will affect the size of the petals, which should be taken into account before starting work.