How to Make Multicolored Beads in Glass Bead Making

You can use more than one color of glass to make a single bead. You can add color to a bead by using a stringer but with the nature of glass, the original color of the core bead can show through. If you want a bead to have two halves of different colors, or to have a bead with a stripe of color, you can use this technique of making multicolor beads.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bead torch
• Glass rods
• Mandrel
• Marver

1. Begin by setting up your work area with mandrels, lighting the torch and getting ready to make a bead.

2. Choose the colors of glass that you want to make your bead out of. Start heating the glass rod that you want to use first. Heat the glass until it is molten. Flash the mandrel to get it hot.

3. Touch the molten glass to the mandrel and wind on the bead of molten glass just like you would to create a normal core bead.

4. Heat the second color of glass rod while keeping the bead you already have on the mandrel hot.

5. Wind the molten glass of the second rod on the mandrel right next to the first bead that you made. Heat the whole bead evenly.

6. Marver the two sections of glass to ensure that there is a seam between the two halves of glass.

7. Ensure there are no air bubble between the two sections of glass. You can do this one of two ways. You can push and pull the molten glass while winding it on the mandrel to avoid air bubbles. You can also marver the surface of the bead to remove air bubbles. This is important because air bubbles will make the glass crack as it cools.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to make a striped bead with a color between another color, simply wrap two beads of glass in the first color onto the mandrel leaving a gap between the two beads. Then heat and wrap the molten glass of the second color between the first two colors. Heat the glass evenly, marver out any air bubbles and you have a completed striped bead.