Bead Crate is a monthly subscription box for beading enthusiasts. Choose from “The Hobbyist” for $7.99 a month or “The Enthusiast” for $15.99 a month. Save with longer subscriptions. You can also buy a single box to see if this subscription is for you. This is a review of “The Enthusiast.”
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Bead Crate
The Cost: "The Hobbyist" for $7.99 per month or "The Enthusiast" for $15.99 per month.
The Products: A selection of beads curated around a monthly theme (or beads that are just cool and random).
Ships to: US (free)
Check out the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great craft supply and DIY project boxes.
This letter/information sheet accompanied the shipment. This is my first Bead Crate box, but it looks like there is a theme this time – “Coffee and Cream. All the beads were lovely shades of brown, cream, and a little white.
4mm Matte Jasper Balls (approx. 90 beads)
It’s nice to see some real semiprecious stones in this box. And there are enough of these that I can see using them in several different pieces.
11/0 Toho Beige Seed Beads (approx. 18 grams)
As odd as it may seem, these were the inspiration for most of my project (more on this below). When I was in college, most of the beading I did was with seed beads. It’s been fun getting back into that.
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4mm Topaz Atlas Glass Beads (approx. 300 beads)
These are going to be incorporated into some fringe in my finished project.
10 x 12 mm Jasper Ovals (10 beads)
I have always had a thing for flat disks and ovals but I’ve rarely bought them. So I was happy to see these. I love the variation in appearance (since they’re made from a natural material).
35 x 25 mm Jasper Focal Oval (1 bead)
I would guess a lot of people are going to use this as a focal piece for a necklace. I might do that, too, although I have never been much for big statement necklaces. I am actually thinking of ways to incorporate it into a bracelet, instead.
6mm Goldstone Rounds (15 beads)
The photo doesn’t really do these justice. These were what gave me the idea to use gold-colored findings for my project – they have a little bit of sparkle in them. (I am one of those people who can wear both warm and cool colors, both gold and silver jewelry, etc.)
6 x 4 mm Milk Glass Rondelles (approx. 60 beads)
I already have a bracelet made from very similar beads that I got in a subscription box, and I don’t want to exactly replicate that. I have some ideas in mind for these, though.
10 mm Spiderweb Agate Disks (6 beads)
More disk-shaped beads. I love these!
And now it is confession time. I got this box close to three weeks ago and didn’t write the review until now because I wanted to show you what I made from the beads. Well. I spent about a week deciding on a project and then I got to work (the dark brown seed beads are from my personal stash, as is the thread).
But I need at least 18 inches (20 or longer would be better) of this spiral rope chain before I can work on the centerpiece. You see above exactly how much I have. It’s my fault for choosing a complicated project and underestimating the time it would take to finish. I’m going to keep working on this and when it is complete, I’ll include a photo in an upcoming Bead Crate review. (In my defense, I was thwarted more than once by cats knocking everything over…)
Verdict: I did not try to calculate a value for Bead Crate. There are so many sources for these and similar materials with widely varied pricing that it seemed impractical. The information sheet gives an approximate retail value of $25.84 and that seems reasonable enough to me. There were a lot of semiprecious stones in here and absolutely no plastic.
Please note that no directions are given and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, and findings. I have an entire closet full of such things so I didn’t even have to buy any additional materials to jump right in. This may not be the best box for someone just starting out, unless you are willing to seek out tutorials (and in fairness, I am entirely self-taught from online materials), but I have been beading off and on for close to 20 years so I can kind of just look at Pinterest or Etsy shops to get ideas and then go off and do my own thing. I, personally, would rather make a unique necklace than to follow directions and make the same thing as everyone else. So this box is perfect for me.
What did you think of the January 2016 Bead Crate? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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