BeadCrate Subscription Box Review – April 2017

BeadCrate is a monthly subscription box for beading enthusiasts. Choose from “The Hobbyist” for $7.99 a month, “The Enthusiast” for $15.99 a month, or “The Collector” for $35 a month. You can also buy a single box to see if this subscription is for you.

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is of The Enthusiast, $15.99 a month, box. 

The Subscription Box: BeadCrate

The Cost: “The Enthusiast” for $15.99 a month or "The Collector" for $35 a month. Save with longer subscriptions.

The Products: A selection of beads curated around a monthly theme (or beads that are just cool and random)

Ships to: U.S. (free for “The Collector” and $5 for “The Enthusiast”)

Check out all my BeadCrate reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great beading, craft supply, and DIY project boxes.

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

This letter/information sheet accompanied the shipment. The theme this month was “Aurora Borealis.”

A note on prices: Items like this can come from a variety of different suppliers at many price points depending on how many you buy, etc. I couldn’t find a lot of these exact beads from common sources (e.g., Fire Mountain Gems) and it’s of questionable value to pick something similar because a slight difference in grading or size or material and you are looking at half or double the price (or an even greater difference). Even different colors of the same size and shape of glass beads are priced differently due to materials needed to make the colors!

3 mm Round Cobalt AB (Czech Glass, 100)

I may be a glutton for punishment, but I really like using small beads. I made a right-angle weave bracelet incorporating these and then I made some matching earrings.

6 x 10 mm Machine Cut Tear Drop Crystal AB (Czech Crystal, 2)

Whenever I see pairs of small beads like this, I immediately think “earrings.” I did use these in a pair of earrings (see below).

4 mm Firepolished Beads in Iris Purple (Czech Glass, 50)

I also used these in my right-angle weave bracelet and matching earrings. I have a few left to try other things with.

4 mm Blue Goldstone Rounds (10)

Goldstone is actually manmade but is usually grouped with semiprecious stones in bead catalogs. There are tiny “gold” sparkles but it is a bit hard to see in smaller beads (it’s quite obvious in 6 mm and larger beads).

3 mm Faceted Blue Goldstone (10)

These go nicely with the 4 mm rounds from above. I am thinking about making something very simple, maybe a 2-strand necklace with these and some chain.

6 mm Jet AB Lentils (Czech Glass, 50)

I am hoarding shaped Czech glass. I have bought a ton of 6 mm lentils lately (and 2-hole lentils and 4-hole lentils). These have gone into my hoard and I know they will emerge one day soon (I’ve also been buying a lot of pattern books that use shaped Czech glass).

14 x 4 mm Matte Medium Amethyst Long Tubes (Czech Glass, 25)

Still not sure exactly what I’m going to do with these, maybe some kind of bracelet where these are stitched into a ladder around my wrist? We’ll see.

8 mm Firepolished Beads in Montana Blue AB (Czech Glass, 25)

I have a lot of firepolished beads, but not many in this size. It is always good to add something basic to my collection. Sometimes I get ideas just going through all my organizers.

Toho 11/0 Transparent Rainbow Sapphire (Japanese Glass, 16 g)

I am a seed beader at heart (that’s how I got my start in beading) and these are a very pretty color. I used a lot of them this month (see below).

12 mm Crystal AB Stars (Czech Glass, 10)

There was a point in the past when I bought massive numbers of Czech glass stars. But I actually don’t think I have any like these. I need to come up with something that uses all the different colors and sizes I bought.

Here are some earrings and a bracelet I made using beads from this month’s box. The only items supplied from my stash were the magnetic clasp and the earring hooks (well, and the thread). Everything else was from the box! (I tried to carry the bracelet motif through into the earrings.)

Verdict: I did not calculate a value for BeadCrate, as explained above in my note about prices. If you divide the cost of the box plus shipping by the number of items, you get about $2.10 per item, which I think is reasonable, although I also feel like there were fewer items this month than usual. (The box shipped late this month and I am wondering if they had trouble getting one or more items in? These beads mostly come from overseas and sometimes direct ordering from suppliers in the Czech Republic, which I have done, is slow.)

The information booklet lists the total retail value at $28.44 and I think that is probably not too far off. I definitely liked all the deep, vibrant colors!

Please note that no directions are given and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, and findings.

What did you think of the April 2017 BeadCrate? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?