BeadCrate Subscription Box Review – February 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.

Yeah, Angus “helps” me with almost every box now.  He actually dragged this bag away with one of the ribbons between his teeth…

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 Hobbyist” for $7.99 a month, “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,” $5 for “The Enthusiast,” and $4 for “The Hobbyist”)

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 “Purple Passion.”

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 x 4 mm Clear AB Faceted Rondelles (Chinese Glass, 40)

Small, clear beads are always welcome. I used quite a few of these in the bracelet I made this month. They were nice for breaking up long stretches of purple.

7 x 5 mm Tanzanite Gemstone Donut (Czech Glass, 25)

These are a great size for me and such a lovely dark purple. The photograph really doesn’t do them justice.

3 mm Amethyst Druks (Czech Glass, 50)

I used some of these as well. Small, round beads are always pretty useful. I like getting a lighter purple to go with all the more dramatic colors, as well.

11 x 16 mm Tanzanite Grape Bunches (Czech Glass, 4)

These are really cute. They didn’t work in the bracelet I was making but I know I will use them soon.

5 x 7 mm Lavender Freshwater Pearls (10)

I haven’t used these yet because pearls have very small holes and usually require a twisted wire needle, but I have some ideas to use these with some of the leftover beads from making the bracelet you see below.

8 x 8 mm Alexandrite Hearts (Czech Glass, 25)

I’m going to be honest, I’m glad this was not another Valentine’s Day-themed box. However, I don’t mind getting ONE type of heart bead, especially when these are in a non-traditional color.

9 mm Amethyst Flat Squares (Czech Glass, 25)

9 mm Amethyst Flat Pansy (Czech Glass, 25)

More purple shapes! I like both, though I couldn’t use them in a wrap bracelet because they could flip sideways, leaving gaps. On the plus side, that means I still have them left to play with. I am thinking of putting them with a bunch of silver accent beads and wire and making a charm bracelet.

8 mm Amethyst Diagonal Cubes (Czech Glass, 25)

8 mm Amethyst Faceted Rounds (Czech Glass, 25)

Both of these, on the other hand, don’t have significantly different dimensions per side, so I was able to use a lot of each of them in my bracelet. Still have a few left for mixed pieces, though.

4 mm Tanzanite Bicone (Machine Cut Czech Crystal, 10)

I used every last one of these. I kind of like getting something that I assume is at a price point between Swarovski (super expensive) and Chinese crystal (cheaper, but not quite as high quality).

Toho 8/0 in Transparent Sugar Plum (Japanese Glass, 18 grams)

I am gaining an appreciation of 8/0 seed beads. They were particularly useful in a wrap bracelet if I wanted to do a more gradual step up or down since I could stack 2 or 3 in a row.

Silamide Nylon Thread (Lilac, Size A, 40 Yards)

I used this to string the beads in the wrap bracelet around the leather outer cords. And, I still have a lot left, which is great, since I didn’t already have any thread in this color.

Here is a wrap bracelet I made with some of the beads from the box, the Silamide, some white leather cord from my stash, and I also had the button that I used for a clasp in my stash. I have tiny wrists so this goes around three times and is a little loose for me, but for someone with larger wrists, it would probably still go around at least twice.

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 $1.58 per item, which I think is good. All the strands of Czech glass would cost more than that, as would the seed beads (I know since those are the sorts of things I have shopped for lately). Everything fit the theme very well this month and I appreciate not getting another collection of red and pink for Valentine’s Day.

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