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Q: I got pretty good results making a glass illusion necklace using 'Berkeley Trilene "Extra Limp" #12' test line. Rather than gluing the scattered beads into position, I looped the thread back through a small seed bead on each side of the larger beads. This holds the beads in place, but unlike knotting, one can loosen the cord and slide the beads along if one wants to re-position something. One can also scatter seed beads along the threads by this method, using silver crimp tubes to end the monofilament strands. I covered the ends with a standard cones+wrapped silver wire arrangement to attach a bar-and-ring clasp. I was surprised at how well the whole thing turned out!

A: I have heard of that "boiling method", but have never tried it myself. I would be concerned however, that the heat would cause the polymers in the monofilament to become brittle, thus causing the thread to be weak, and perhaps break. The way I've made them, is to tie a single knot in the monofilament, anchor one end securely to my work table, and while pulling the other end very tight (in order to make the knot as tight and small as possible), slide the bead over the knot. Once in place, I release the thread, allowing the single knot to loosen inside the bead, that makes bead unable to slide over the now loosened and uncoiling knot inside the bead.