Bargain Bead Box is a monthly subscription promising over $40 worth of quality jewelry-making supplies every month.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Bargain Bead Box
The Cost: $15.95 a month
The Products: Designer quality beads in materials ranging from crystal to glass to semi-precious gemstones, plus metal beads and findings. Bargain Bead Box does not send any plastic beads or seed beads.
Ships to: U.S. (free), Canada for $7.50
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There was a letter in the box with some more information on the theme (“Caribbean Breeze”). The back contained a list of the month’s beads.
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!
4.5 mm Spacer Beads (100)
These are handy. I used a few in what I made this month, but I have plenty left over to play around with.
8 mm Bead Caps (20)
You’ll usually get bead caps with this subscription, and it’s enough to use in a whole jewelry piece without buying more. This month, they had an antique copper finish (all the metal has the same finish with this subscription, which is nice).
18 x 25 mm Toggle Clasps (3)
I already used two of these. I like that this subscription sends you coordinating clasps; it makes things a whole lot easier and you don’t have to dig through your stash to find something that will work.
22 mm Double-Sided Heart Cutout Charms (6)
I used a few of these as well. They’re a little big for a charm bracelet (in my opinion) but they worked to either side of the focal piece of a necklace. Just attach them to some chain with a few jump rings.
8 mm Crackled Agate Round Beads (20)
I don’t work with semi-precious stones too often because they’re expensive, but I’m always happy to see some in a subscription box. This is a good color for the month’s theme, but it would also work in fall designs.
6 x 4 mm Glass Rondelle Beads (32)
This is a bit of an unusual shape for a rondelle. I like them, though, and I used a handful of them in what I made this month.
Fancy Cut Glass Crystal Faceted Rectangle (4)
I haven’t used these yet but I think they will go into a bracelet. There are just enough that, with a few accent beads, they’ll go all the way around my wrist.
8 x 4 mm Glass Rondelle Beads (24)
Usually, when you get glass rondelles, they are cut or faceted. It is a little different to get smooth ones, but these beads appealed to me because they are unique in that regard. I used a few of them below – they have a vibrant color!
6 x 4 mm Chinese Crystal Rondelle Beads (48)
I used a few of these as well. They are pretty versatile and, like the agate, work well with the month’s color theme or in fall designs.
10 mm Chinese Crystal Marguerite AB Beads (5)
Ah, Marguerite beads (also known as Marguerite Lochrose beads or margarita beads). I did not know you could get non-Swarovski ones. I will have to be on the lookout for more because I’ve bought a few of the Swarovski ones lately and they are expensive. (I want to use them in flower designs with shaped Czech beads; I’ve seen a few examples online that I want to try to imitate.)
6 mm Dyed Quartz Round Beds (30)
I used quite a lot of these. They are simple, but they actually were a great size to go with the bead caps.
12 mm Resin Rhinestone Beads, Aqua (5)
Not sure how I will use these yet but they are fun (and sparkly).
40 x 30 mm Amazonite Pendant
You’ll usually get one or two centerpieces, pendants, or focals with this subscription. Sometimes they are a little large for my taste but this one worked for me. (I usually see this shape called a “gogo” in bead catalogs.) See it in use below.
15” Strand 8 mm Amazonite Round Beads
These are a great color to go with all the other amazonite, aqua, and such in this month’s package. I haven’t used any yet, but I am thinking about making a few more color-coordinated bracelets to wear in a stack, and these would be wonderful there.
I went with simple for this month’s projects, just made a necklace and bracelet using some of the beads from the box in similar but slightly different styles. The bracelet probably could’ve stood to be a half inch longer or so, but it does fit me.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Bargain Bead Box, as explained above. I definitely feel that I got a value that greatly exceeded the cost of the subscription; the information letter said the total retail value was $55 and I can believe that. If you divide the cost of the subscription by the number of items, you get $1.14 per item, which I think is more than fair, especially considering all the semi-precious stones that were in this month’s package. I really liked the color scheme for the month – it was summery and beachy while still being just a little off the beaten path.
Please note that no directions are given and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, etc.
What did you think of the May 2017 Bargain Bead Box? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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