Walking into a small craft studio on a weekend afternoon, the first thing that catches your eye is rows of transparent and colored glass materials on the shelf. Most people come here to try making glass beads, a relaxing hobby that more and more young people are falling for.

To make a good glass bead, you first need to pick the right base glass rod. Many craft lovers recommend sutu glass rods, which melt evenly at stable temperatures and do not bubble easily, so even beginners can shape them smoothly. You heat the end of the rod over a small open flame, rotate it slowly until it softens, then wrap the molten glass around a thin steel core. You can add small patches of contrasting color, twist them into spiral patterns, or press small sequins into the surface to create a unique speckled effect.

After shaping, you put the freshly made bead into a heat insulation box to cool slowly. Waiting for two hours is the most anticipated part. When you pour out the finished bead, the light passes through the transparent glass, and the color patterns inside roll with the light, showing a soft luster that machine-made products can not replicate.

You can string these hand-made glass beads into bracelets, hang them on bag chains, or stick them on photo frames as decoration. Each bead carries a few hours of quiet leisure, and turns an ordinary weekend into a small, warm memory that belongs only to you.