Testing a GLASS BEAD MAKING Kit for Beginners 

Hi everyone! Happy Sunday!! I hope you enjoy this glass bead making craft kit. It was a lot of fun to test!! Thank you so much to all of you who are watching! I hope your weekend is going well. See you in the next video! ♥︎ Sarah

Ive been a professional glass blower for a while now, I own my own borosilicate production studio , and I actually started on a kit just like this one about 11 years ago.

The strawberry one looks cute, but I love the blue-ish one!

Thank you for showing me this video. I make jewellery and wanted to see how expensive and hard it would be to make my own glass beads so I was really happy when I found your video as you'd never done it before. Which is exactly what I needed. I have big issues with making mistakes so when you watch tutorials of people doing amazing work and can really put you off trying or carrying in because of mistakes. So it's nice to see you try and make a few mistakes before your last beads which were lovely. The strawberry was my favourite too. But I actually also really like the bead from the first try, it was just pretty and unusual shape so I really liked it. Looking forward to watching your other videos as I like to try out lots of different crafts too

I've been blowi g glass for 2 years now and I LOVE seeing new people getting into the craft! Some tips. Wearing longer sleeves can protect your arms from some of those hot glass chips that can pop off when you are learning. You can the tips of your glass rods in an old toaster oven to slowly warm up the ends to prevent the thermal shock. Keep it up and keep having fun!

I think it's great you test these products out as a first-time user without knowing how to create the product. Thanks for doing these.

Hi Sarah! I grew up watching you, and always remember watching you while doing my chemotherapy sessions. I was diagnosed with lupus at 12 (now 17) and you were one of the few youtubers who helped me through that time. I just wanted to let you know, because I absolutely love your content. I’m glad I rediscovered you! ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ♡°◌̊

With those particular glass rods I have found propane rather than mapp can help keep the colors more true

In school I took a metals class and we got to make glass beads on one of the projects and it was really fun. I’m super excited to watch this video!!!!

Wow! I have a new respect for the ones who make lampwork beads! You did great and this did not look easy.

Ahhhh I grew up watching you and I was looking for a glass bead making video and I clicked on this without realizing who’s channel it was ahhh yayy made my day

As an experienced flame worker, you also need to put more clothes on or you are going to end up with burns on your arms and legs. Hopefullym you are not wearing sandals!

Ahhhhh my FAVORITE series of yours...Craft testing kits!!! Will watch this later tonight, just had to comment that I'm so happy you're keeping up on this series 😀 😊 👍

The strawberry was amazing for a beginner to attempt!! 🍓🍓 I liked the turquoise bead the most!! So pretty!! 💙💙 This kit would give me anxiety attacks!! 😉😂🤣

So glad you are doing bead making, one of my favorite things ❤️

Light blue is very easy to burn so the orange brown was it burnt. It looks really cool sometimes I burn my glass on purpose!

Sarah plz start the loom band series.....we miss it so muchh

Thank you for the video! I am a beginner and watching you made me feel like I want to give it a try! BTW, you bought it cheap...on Amazon it is $130!

one thing to remeber when making glass beads you need to make 1000 beads to call yourself a noob. it takes a lot of practice and patents. stringers you can pull yourself its prity easy look on youtube there are hundres of tutoirals. the strawbery most likely was held too low in the flame and overheated. another thing id try if i was you is twisties there fun to make and use.

As a glassblower its really funny to watsch this 😂

I feel proud and weird that I’ve been here since 2013..😂😌

i love you it turned out amazing happy sunday!

Just being waiting for your video

Loveee the strawberry!

Those beads look SO cool! Sorry I couldn't watch sooner, I was on a hike (with a mask :) )

omg YOU ARE MY CHILDHOOD

great video! thank you

Could please do more painting

In cave man terms... Hot. Burn. Ow. LOL 🤣

You were brave to do it with so much skin showing, I would want so many layers lololol Fire is scary!!!

I like the strawberry and the whale. Rip to the whale lol

Hiii I love u so much

*hot burn ow-*

As a lampworker, I would advise wearing better protective clothing and sitting down as you have better control over the glass and mandrel. You can also make your own stringers by grabbing the heated glass with pliers and pulling it out until it is your required size, let cool gently and then you can use it. Some times by double dipping the bead release works better and you can remove them easier, but other than that you did a great job for the first time. Ps. Some glass rods change colour depending on were they are held in the flame and on whether you pull the bead out then reheat before it gets to cold to shatter. Hope this helps and you keep trying it.

When you said the glasses with the kit weren't good at first I thought you meant the glass rods and I was really confused.

Glass can have lead, selenium, sulphur and copper in it that can cause colour reactions like you got with your green and blue. It's one of the really cool things about glass :-)

I appreciate watching someone that doesn't know what they are doing and what mistakes you make that is the learning process and then what improvements you learned along the way tweaking your work area different tools and strategies. Thanks for sharing this story.

Wow another kit testing. Thank you Sarah for giving us such quality content in quarantine. Love from India.

I’d be way to scared to try that kit. Fire and me don’t mix 😆

What the kit doesn't mention is, you have no way to annealing these beads without a small kiln. Annealing slowly heats, holds, and cools the beads which removes the thermal stress from the glass, reducing the chances of bead breakage.

I got a microwave kiln this past Christmas and glass work has been SO fun!! This video has given me some inspiration 🙈 another something new to start!!!

omg I haven’t watched your videos in so long. You were literally my whole childhood! You taught me so much with duct tape, polymer clay, and even drawing. 💗💗

I am a glass bead artist and teacher for 25 yrs. Take a class or watch a RU-vid clip. Dear lord so many things that could have wrong.

I do lamp working as a hobby, and these kind of bead kits got my interests peaked! I now create my own glass sculptures, and it is so much fun!!

I bought this kit back when I was in middle school.... almost 10 years later and haven't used it yet 😂

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, wear 100 % COTTON long sleeves and jeans (NOT shorts and a tank top)!!! Hot (about 2000° F) flying glass can and will hit your arms or legs and cause a NASTY burn. The glass in those kits is known as SOFT glass and is very heat sensitive causing “shocking” and hot glass flying off in all directions. If you’re getting frustrated it’s not necessarily that you’re a beginner. That style torch is really not very good for bead making so you’re fighting shocky cheap glass and not ideal torch. I’ve been doing torch work for about 8 years and I still have trouble getting any decent things made with this style torch (I HATE them). There are many places around the country that teach lampworking (that’s what this is called) and most supply you with proper torches and safety gear. I teach at the Lorton Workhouse in northern Virginia. We provide ALL a beginner needs to start making beautiful beads as part of your class costs. You actually did remarkably well for your first time and with crappy equipment but boy was I cringing watching you in that cute but dangerous outfit. So, notes on what happened: those torches put out lots of propane/mapp which is a dirty gas and causes chemical reactions with the glass (hence changes in color). The beads need to be kept warm while your making them. Not molten and moving, but kept warm. Don’t wave them around, don’t let them cool down at all and then go back to the flame. That’s why they’re cracking. Put them in the blanket ASAP and while still warm. Soaking the bead release longer generally does not make much difference. What works very well are those rubber jar lid openers that you can get at Walmart to get a better grip on the bead and the mandrel. If the release gets broken while the glass is being put onto the mandrel it will cause the glass to stick. If the bead really gets stuck it becomes a cute accent for potted plants (ie Stick the mandrel and stuck bead in as a decoration. LOL ) Reaming the inside probably did not break the green bead. It already had stress in it and probably would’ve broken on it’s own eventually, so don’t feel bad. This is very basic informationn; I’m trying not to write a comment book. There are LOTS of very good videos on RU-vid about doing lampworking. At least you overcame your fear and tackled the kit. Not all your troubles are your fault as a beginner. Much of it is the cheap quality glass and torches used in those kits. It’s where I started too but there is much better out there if you find you like it.

Great video, but I was really surprised to see what you were wearing: when working with heat you should have had fire retardant sleeves on (they go from wrist to elbow) and coverings on your arms and legs.

Ohhhh, I haven't watched it yet, but I can't wait! I am starting a DIY channel!😝 My first diy will be uploaded next week!

I absolutely LOVE that you test out these interesting kits for us. Personally, I am always looking for some kind of craft or art project to do, but don't have the budget to buy a kit and have it be a flop. I also hate knowing that a kit might really be awesome, but can't take the risk to try it out. Although you always are cheery and light-hearted, which I LOVE; you always take the project seriously and give it a fair evaluation. I will keep watching for as long as you keep making these videos! Please don't listen to the negative folks that are just cranky and mean. You DO provide valuable content. Please keep it up! Love and Hugs!

Fiber glass is bad for the skin. Its tiny tiny bits of glass that itches super bad. My Dad worked construction and I remember how much he suffered with fiberglass on his skin 🥺

I haven't watched one of your videos in a while.( sorry, not for any reason) anyway So glad to see you pop up in my reccomended today. and I've always been soo interested in glass blowing, glass beads etc.. that kit really does seem awesome. Just seems like it might take A LOT of practice and yea for only your second day at it. I'd say that Strawberry is a TOTAL WIN!! super cute. the imperfections give it character. If it could handle it I'd throw it on a chain by itself, that b cute!

Hi Sarah! I'm just wondering if your PO box will ever close? I want to send some art but I don't know if you will still be keeping it. If you ever decide to close it could you announce it in a video? Thanks ❤️

This was so cool to watch. I live in an apartment right now and do t have space to try this but there is a glass store in my town that offers lessons, I thought it would be to hard but after watching this video I think I will give the lessons a try... when it’s safe to have them of coarse.

Awesome! I love them all I'm a glass beadaholic lol . I really like the strawberry 🍓 though! Thank you for your videos. I'm thinking about maybe getting this kit .

I like the dark blue. I’m surprised they didn’t suggest gloves or apron of some sort. But good job

my ex-boyfriend...bought me a glass making kit. a real live one. and i'm terrified of it

I love the little orange blob!!! Too precious!

When I saw the stawberry, I thought it was a carrot. But after you said it was a stawberry saw it, you did a good job on it Sarah.

OMG you would look so good in pigtail braids ahhhh

Ur vedioes r amazing.......!!!! L>>u🖤💥 BTW 2nd😂

Yay! So funnn, such an inspiration for me:)))💕☀️ I make art vids btw 🙃 have a wonderful day everyone!

That was so cool I love all your videos . And you are an awesome youtuber. 😁🤗

Totally impressed you even attempted this much less get the results you did on first try. They look great. I wonder if you can use this to make those little glass animals/figurines people sometimes collect. I hope you stick with this and expand your skill set.

Green glass is made with copper oxide. If you overheat it, then it turns into copper metal, which is the red line you see. VERY common mistake, I do it myself even after years of experience.

The strawberry one was my fav. Also your hair looks so cute in a bun!❤️

Who else loves Sarah like me!!! She’s the best person ever on RU-vid!!!! Love you Sarah💗💗💓💝💕🌹

Thx! I always wanted to try making glass lamp work beads. I didn't know you could buy kits for that.

I’ve very surprised there was no protective gear used beyond safety glasses. If you watch any professional they have thick gloves, wear pants, long sleeved shirts, shoes...and when handling material without heat, gloves should probably be worn, especially when you state that you don’t know what they are. If anyone watching this tries this please use proper PPE.

Ugh yes the bead release always gave me troubles, I found that dipping the rod in 2-3 times helped, unless I was just trippin lol 🤷‍♀️

Ok, I just finished watching it completely and so glad you went out to get better welding shades to protect your eyes and you also mentioned the Didymiums!!! Awesome!!! AND.... you also were working in the garage over cement and not setting it up in the room you first started in! You did an amazing job making glass beads for your very first time and especially without an instructor!!! Impressive!! Most of your beads cracked simply because you didn't melt them down fully. You were probably concerned with fusing them to the mandrels as I could see you were timid with introducing the glass into the flame in the first place. But you made some beads and that was a really good first attempt! I don't think you can completely clean the bead release from the hole, as you are basically fusing the glass to the release, which is basically just a wet clay or a clay slip. For under $100 I think this is a really good investment to get started. But spending more time watching and learning from others would be the only thing I'd really suggest to help you lay the glass down smoother and to learn how to melt it completely down so it doesn't crack as easy. Thanks for sharing your experience! You're welcome to come watch me play with glass anytime I go LiVE! I'll probably mention you soon and this kit and talk about bead making with a LiVE Demo! -Blessings to you! Dan "TheGlassman"

Love this video! This channel reminds me so much of my own!

Ur so brave I’d be in leggings and a turtle neck if I was doing this

I hear beads, I come running!

I didn't realize it was so hard. Bead makers seam to make it look easy. This was informative. tks

That yellow sticker that says "You Price" that's a Hippy Lobby sticker. And they will not discount that price with a sale or coupon. Just a FYI.

I love that strawberry bead! You did so good! The leaves look amazing, I'm seriously impressed, great job! Keep going ^^ 🍓

Thank you for the video. Very interesting!!! I love it.

"Making of a Glass Bead" has been uploaded on RU-vid. I saw the runtime on the DVD and thought it must be here somewhere.

Hi Sarah 💜 I love the strawberry! That (what did you call it, wan-key) bead turned out beautifully. It's so unique and amazing. You are an awesome crafter.

RU-vid: 4 likes no views Me: Wha-

In school when I was making glass bead, some brown showed up as well my teacher said it was Bc of the temperature of the flame or something like that.

Loved watching you learn to lampwork. I liked the teal bead and the strawberry.

Hi Sarah, hope you're well! I've been waching your videos for years and just wanted to say that I think it is so great that you're venturing into more unknown and perhaps daunting crafts/projects! I really enjoy this content and it is much appreciated. And I have always admired your patience with all crafts😂 The light blue bead is my favourite, I think it is really pretty! xx

Not a big fan of Fireworks, but they do offer affordable products. I can't believe they put clear glasses in the kit, though.

I was so relieved you put your hair up!! Did NOT want to see your hair go up in flames!! Good job on your first try!! I like the blue ones. What strawberry dress??

Okay but we love a procrastination queen 😍 .

how come the craft kit boxes only show girls. Itmdosn't really matter to me but I am suprised, I love crafts and drove a log truck

juz gottah be extra careful, safety is always first and course try something New if you don't how's one supposed to learn.

I've literally had the same kit hiding under my bed for about the same amount of time 😂😂😂

Hi I Love You Vids❤️🇵🇰

So cool thank you I bought mine in 2016 lol I'm too scared to mess with it

Everyone who watches this: The safety goggles in this are worthless. Get proper lampworking glasses

Too bad the whale died, I liked him :( I like the turquoise bead and the strawberry looks pretty cool.

Much respect to those who make glass beads. Live the strawberry bead. Cherish that one!

Let me tell you what I just heard. It's not a toy well I thought it was a toy no it's not a toy it's a toy it's not a toy I'm going to play with it like it's a toy. it's not a toy! It's a toy. Ahhhh!!!

TOTALLY IMPRESSED Girl Keep It Up👍🏻

Wow. I didn’t know they even made glass bead making kits like this! For some reason I thought you needed much equipment to make beads like that. I’ll have to look into getting a kit and some additional supplies to try this!!

I had that same kit. The bead release was crap, and I've had a few beads fuse to the mandrels cause the bead release flaked.

1:58 Says it is known to cause cancer!! What?! Surely there is an alternative!!

SoCraftastic, you're a beautiful presenter in voice and appearance.