In a small pot, combine the water and ½ cup sugar. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Stir in the fresh cranberries to fully coat in the syrup and let sit for about 2 minutes. (Do not cook them!)
Then remove and place on a cooling rack or parchment lined sheet.
Let the cranberries dry for 1 hour. They should be very sticky.
Place the remaining sugar on a plate and roll the sticky cranberries to coat in the sugar.
That's it! You can place the sugared cranberries back on the cooling rack to let them continue to dry for another hour or so, or just use them immediately!
Notes
Store the sugared cranberries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If the sugar starts coming off, you can re-roll the cranberries in a little extra sugar!