Begin with a length of wire and wrap around a doweling – the size depends on how large you want the beads to be.
Start off with a bit of wrapping and then crisscross as many times as possible. How many times depends on aesthetic.
Keep crisscrossing until there is only a bit of wire left. Then remove the doweling and using a pair of round nose pliers, twirl the end to make it smaller.
If you are trying to put a chain through, put the chain through before you twirl the ends of the wire. And then tuck in the ends. This way it turns into a slight drop and now you can use it as a regular bead.