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Crimps are used with threading materials that do not hold a knot well.  Crimps can serve a decorative purpose, such as holding beads in an "illusion"  floating bead design or in securing strands to findings.

Crimp Beads

A crimp bead is smaller than a crimp tube when flattened.  

Thread on 1 crimp bead.  Slip the wire through the clasp loop and bring the end of the wire back though the crimping bead. 
Leave about a 1/2 inch tail and push the crimp snug up to the loop. 

Squeeze the crimp bead flat using needle nose pliers.  Pull to be sure it is secure.  Thread the wire back through a couple of beads then snip off the excess.

Crimp Tubes

Use a crimp tube, finished with crimping pliers or needle nose pliers, when securing the ends of your wire, or to create a cylinder on each side of a "floating bead."  A rounded crimp tube holds more securely than a flattened crimp.

Thread just like a crimp bead. 
A tube can be crushed using needle nose pliers. 

The flattened tube makes a large square finish.

Use crimping pliers to form a smooth finished cylinder.  Separate the wires so one will be on each side (of the "U" shaped inner slot).  Collapse the tube firmly in the U-shaped groove.

Fold the tube back onto itself to form a cylinder using the oval groove. 

Finished smooth tube.