Easy Peasy Tutorial - Making Lampwork Popcorn Beads

I haven't written a lampwork bead tutorial in ages,

but at the request of someone on Lampworketc, 

I decided it was time to write a tutorial on making

Popcorn Lampwork Beads.

These beads are very easy to make.

What do you need?

You need glass rods and stringers.

I use white rods and stringers and whatever color of yellow I have on hand.

I pull a stringer from the yellow rod.  It should be about the size of a 3/32" mandrel.

Sorry for the poor quality of photos.

It's hard to make beads and take photos at the same time.

You will also need mandrels dipped in bead release.

I use 3/32" for these beads because whatever I don't use or sell can then be donated to 

Beads of Courage

for the children who participate in the program.

Begin by making a white spacer bead on the mandrel.

See, so far, so good.

Using your yellow stringer, add a good sized dot to your white spacer bead.

Continue to flash your bead in the flame, but do NOT melt the dot.

Using your white stringer, now add 5-6 dots around the yellow dot.

Do not melt into the white bead.

Place your new bead in the kiln and anneal.

Pop!

You've made a popcorn bead.

WoooHooo!

Lampwork popcorn beads = no calories!

You can find them

HERE!