Crackle beads have interior cracks that give the beads a splintered, fractured appearance. You can purchase crackle beads or make them yourself by baking marbles in an extremely hot oven and then cooling them immediately in ice water. Because crackle beads are so distinctive, they make a unique addition to a variety of craft projects.
Crackle Bead Rings
Crackle bead rings are easy to make and require no formal knowledge of jewelry making. Store-bought crackle beads come with a hole through the middle for threading them through jewelry wire. For homemade crackle beads made from marbles, wrap jewelry wire around each bead like a snake and create a small loop out of the wire at the top of the bead, using a pair of round nose pliers. Now thread this bead onto the wire that you plan to use as the base of your ring. Add as many or as few beads onto the wire as you like. Use fewer beads to give the ring a more spartan, minimalist look and more beads to give the ring a chunkier, flashier look. The wire loops several times into a ring formation around a finger and then the rest of the wire wraps around the base of the ring, tucking itself into place. Once the ring is in this formation, adjust the beads so they are in the most visible positions.
Crackle Bead Bags
Store-bought crackle beads are a suitable choice for dressing up a plain fabric bag. The fractured appearance of the interior of the beads gives the bag a textured, almost sparkling appearance. The beads attach to the fabric bag via a needle and thread. Add them as a simple border along the perimeter of the bag or use them to cover the entire exterior of the bag in an interesting pattern or design. Alternatively, use crackle beads in conjunction with regular glass beads as a means of contrast, to bring out the distinction of the crackle beads' splinters.
Crackle Beads in Vessels
When making your own oil lamp, you have a wealth of choices of things to put in the reservoir. Crackle beads are a suitable choice as their fractured glass interiors will give the lamp a natural sparkle. Add a bunch of beads that are all the same, such as green or blue, and the combination of shimmering beads will almost create an illusion of an emerald or sapphire in the bottom of the oil lamp. This effect is also possible with a clear glass vase holding flowers. Cover the bottom of the vase with several inches of multicolored crackle beads to create a harmony and balance with the colors of the petals at the top of the vase. The natural sparkle of the crackle beads will turn your vase of flowers into something more eye-catching and extraordinary.