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.
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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.
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This letter/information sheet accompanied the shipment. The theme this month was “Beach Vacation.”
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!
6 mm Firepolished Emerald Faceted Rounds (Czech Glass, 25)
I’ve been wanting to do some more work with jewel tones lately and have some other items on order that will go really well with these, so I’m holding off on using them for now.
16.5 mm TierraCast Antique Silver Dolphin Charm (USA “Pewter”)
I went a little nuts buying sea-themed charms a few months ago, and this will fit into a charm bracelet along with some of those. (TierraCast is a little nicer than what you can get on Ali Express, though!)
10 x 10 mm Silver Blue Crystal Flowers (Czech Glass, 10)
I used most of these in a bracelet (see below). They really appealed to me this month.
3 mm Round Luster Mix (Czech Glass, 100)
I also used most of these. I probably need to come up with a new trick (as opposed to doing right angle weave all the time), although they do look nice in the piece I made (in my opinion, anyway).
Hemp Cord (0.55 mm/10 lb test, China, 20 ft)
It was really tempting to make a wrap bracelet this month but I’ve been doing a lot of those lately so I held off. But, I’m probably going to make a wrap bracelet with this at some point. It is a good width to fit through buttons.
11/0 Blue Ceylon AB Czech Glass Seed Beads (18g)
I don’t have any seed beads in this color in my collection so far. But these will go really well with the current color palette I’ve been working with.
4 mm Firepolished Alabaster White Faceted Rounds (Czech Glass, 38)
I don’t see opaque firepolished beads too often in subscriptions. These will go with a lot of different beads (and would work in winter designs, as well). These are pretty versatile.
18 x 28 mm Jasper Rounded Rectangle
I could also go a different route with the hemp cord and mace a simple macramé necklace or bracelet with this as a centerpiece. The colors definitely complement each other.
5 x 7 mm Aqua Pip (Czech Glass, 15)
Pips! I love pips. I don’t have any in this color, either. I don’t know what to do with them yet, so for now, they are in my storage containers with my other pips. I’m sure some good idea will come along soon in a beading magazine.
8 mm Clear Crackle Rounds (Czech Glass, 25)
This is another basic sort of bead that can be used in a variety of ways. And you get plenty of them.
13 x 18 Apatite Tear Drops (2)
I could use these in earrings (always my first thought when I get two of something) or I could put them on either side of a centerpiece in a necklace. I’m not sure which direction I will go, yet.
Toho 11/0 Ceylon Light Ivory Seed Beads (Japanese Glass, 16 g)
More seed beads. These go really well with the color palette I’ve been using most often lately. Also, I did use a few in one of my bracelets below.
Here are a couple of bracelets I made using this month’s beads. I thought the flowers were interesting enough on their own that I didn’t add much (just some eyepins and jump rings). I probably need to step away from the right angle weave (the stitch used for the other bracelet) for awhile because I seem to be stuck on that lately, though. But both of these will get worn fairly often.
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 $1.75 per item, which I think is reasonable (I know that number of pips would cost more, for example). I liked the sand and sea colors from this month; I think they’re great for the start of summer.
The information booklet lists the total retail value at $27.65 and I think that is probably not too far off. I definitely liked all the beachy summer 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 May 2017 BeadCrate? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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