Facebook PixelBeadCrate Subscription Box Review – September 2017 | MSA
My Subscription Addiction
My Subscription Addiction
Our reviewers research, test, and recommend the best subscriptions and products independently; click to learn more about our editorial guidelines. We may receive commissions on purchases made through links on our site.

BeadCrate Subscription Box Review – September 2017

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleySep 19, 2017 | 0 comments
BeadCrate
5 overall rating
2 Ratings | 0 Reviews

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

BeadCrate is a monthly subscription box for beading enthusiasts. Choose from “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.

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

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. 

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription 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!

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

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

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!

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

6 x 4 mm Montana Blue Rice Beads (Czech glass, 50)

I’ve been seeing more of this Montana blue color lately and I like it. It is a little different from the traditional cobalts and sapphires that I am used to. This is a good shape for an accent bead and I used a handful of these in a bracelet (see below).

Tierracast Pewter Finish Hammertone Rectangle Button (USA pewter)

I could’ve sworn I bought a lot of Tierracast buttons to use as bracelet clasps but I have looked high and low and they are nowhere to be seen (I actually did order some about a day before this box came, so OF COURSE there was one here!). Anyway, I’ve been making a lot of wrap bracelets lately and this will be a perfect clasp for one of those. 

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

9 x 6 mm Montana Blue Vertical Hole Tear Drops (Czech glass, 25)

I think these were my favorite beads from the box, though I couldn’t say why – I just like them. I am a fan of the Montana blue color and these are a great size for me. I used some of them in a bracelet, as well.

4 mm Round Ethereal Mix (Czech glass, 50)

We’ve been getting a lot of these druk mixes lately from BeadCrate and I am a fan. I am not quite sure how I will use these yet, but I like the finish, which is different from what you see with a lot of pressed glass beads. A lot of patterns call for 4mm rounds, so they will be used sooner rather than later.

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

12 x 7 mm Frosty Morning Leaf Mix (Czech glass, 15)

I hoard leaf beads. I think these might look good at the end of long dangles in earrings, but I need to come up with a second idea because there are quite a few of them.

Toho 11/0 Transparent Rainbow Olivine (Japanese glass, 16 g)

This is a lovely color. You’ll pretty much always get at least one kind of seed bead with BeadCrate but I got my start in beading with seed beads and am always happy to see them. These fit nicely into the color palette I’ve been buying lately.

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

15 x 7 mm White Full AB Owls (Czech glass, 4)

I recently saw a bracelet made in all white and clear beads that was absolutely beautiful, so I think I am going to try to incorporate these into something like that. Alternatively, I could put them on headpins, turn them into charms, and mix and match them with some metal owl charms in a bracelet.

12 mm Square Matte Blue Apatite (2 count)

I love getting semiprecious beads and these are so unusual – rounded, puffed flat squares with a matte finish. Not at all like anything I already own. I like the color, too!

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

Wire Bead Stopper

You’ll usually get one “supply” type of item in BeadCrate. This month it is a wire bead stopper. This is a really handy thing to have. You open up the spring with the projections on the end, put the end of your thread in there, and close again. It keeps beads from sliding off your thread while you are working. This is an alternative to knots or the use of stop beads, neither of which I really like.

7 x 6 mm Twilight/Crystal Flattened Ovals (Czech glass, 25)

Flat ovals are another favorite of mine. The colors here remind me of sand, so I think I will incorporate these beads into a beach-inspired design. I have a lot of beads from other subscriptions that should coordinate well.

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

6 mm Viridian Firepolished Beads (Czech glass, 25)

3 mm Smoky Topaz Firepolished Beads (Czech glass, 50)

These are essentially the same type of bead in two different sizes and colors. Both are useful in patterns and both colors will go great with a lot of other items in my stash. I actually used a lot of these up, especially the green (“viridian”) ones in my bracelet this month.

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

BeadCrate September 2017 Craft and DIY Subscription Box

Here is a bracelet I made with four types of beads from the box and some copper stuff I had on hand. I think I would’ve preferred brass, but I didn’t have enough matching brass findings and chain (I have a mix of shiny/new and “antiqued” brass) so copper it was. But, I do like the way it turned out (and it looked better on my wrist than the bracelet display).

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 $1.31 per item. That is a great price. Although Czech firepolished rounds can occasionally be found for prices near that, most of the other beads CAN’T – they usually cost much more. So you are getting a pretty good deal here. The color coordination this month appealed to me, as well.

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 September 2017 BeadCrate? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?

Starting at $35.00
Subscribe Now
"Each month you will receive a ‘crate’ full of hand curated beads selected to inspire and delight. Each of our boxes is designed to enhance your own creative journey. Not sure a subscription is right for you? No problem, go to our SHOP to try a one-time box -- no fuss, no muss and no commitment ;)"
Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

Join the Conversation

Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.