Rudolph Glass Bead

You knew Dasher and Dancer and Prancer but now you can make the most famous reindeer of all for your very own! This glass bead project from Diamond Tech is great for making your own handmade Christmas jewelry!

Materials:

• Moretti Glass Rods: Transparent Red, Solid Brown, Black and White Rods
• Bead Press
• FireworksTM Tweezer Set
• Black and White Stringers
• FireworksTM Beginner’s Beadmaking Kit
• FireworksTM Safety Glasses
• Madrels coated in bead release

Steps:

1. To form the base bead, heat a brown glass rod until a 1/2” ball of molten glass forms, apply the glass to the tip of a warmed mandrel (this bead will not have the mandrel going completely through it). Once the rounded molten glass has formed on the mandrel, take the tweezers and pinch the end of the molten glass to create the muzzle of the reindeer.
    
2. Using the brown rod as before, heat and apply two small drops atop the head of the reindeer, then take your tweezers to pinch or flatten the glass to form the flaps of the ears.
    
3. Now it’s time to add the base (or lashes) for the eyes. Heat up a black rod and melt a small drop onto both the right and left side of the bead blending the black circles into the brown to form the base of the eye. Note: It is important to keep the entire bead hot as you work, but not to the point where you will loose it’s form.
    
4. Now heat up a white glass rod (a white stringer can be used when working in smaller detail). Gently drop a small amount onto each ear. Heat until blended into the brown. Use the tweezers to flatten the flaps of the ears if necessary.
    
5. Once the ears are complete repeat the step to form the whites of the eyes (small amount so that the black will show around the edges of each eye to simulate lashes), and the base of the muzzle.
    
6. It is now time to add the pupil of the eye and the antlers. To create the pupil heat up the tip of a black stringer and drop a very small dot onto the white of the eye, melt into the white until flat.
    
7. To create the antlers melt a stringer of black glass across the top of the head, centered just below the ears.
    
8. Finish up by adding the final touch, the red nose. To do so melt a drop of transparent red onto the tip of the muzzle, and The Red Nosed Reindeer is ready to lead Santa’s sleigh!