Adornable Elements Beads of the Month Clubs are the original beading subscription boxes (they’ve been around since 2000).
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This is a review of the Single 11/0 Seed Beads of the Month, $17.95 a month, box.
The Subscription Box: Adornable Elements Beads of the Month Club
The Cost: Varies depending on the club selected and whether you choose the single or double club; this is a review of the Single 11/0 Seed Beads of the Month, which is $17.95/month for 12.5 grams of each of 8 different size 11/0 Miyuki seed beads; save a bit more with the double clubs
The Products: 8 packages of color-coordinated beads; choose from “Hot and Trendy” beads, “2-Hole Beads,” “Superduos,” “11/0 Delicas,” “11/0 Seed Beads,” “Swarovski crystals,” or a rotating club where you get a different selection each month.
Good to know: I actually subscribe to several of these clubs and they all come in the same package. I’m going to do a rotation with these reviews so you’ll see something a little different each month.
Ships to: US, cost varies depending on the number of clubs subscribed to (shipping is $4.50 for one club; refer to their FAQ for shipping costs for additional clubs)
Check out all of our Adornable Element Beads of the Month Reviews and more great beading, craft supply, and DIY project boxes in the Craft Subscription Box Directory!
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The package came with a list of the beads included as well as retail values. Note: I am using the retail values from this list. They seem reasonable to me, plus it is pretty much impossible to find each color from the same online shop, let alone the same exact package size, so things like quantity discounts are not going to apply here. This month’s theme is “Tree Gecko.” (For what it’s worth, I really think the colors fit the themes and go together nicely with these subscriptions.)
During your first month, and every three months afterward, you’ll receive a plastic storage case. You can store a couple of months’ worth of sample containers in these (although I transfer my beads to Elizabeth Ward Bead Storage Solutions trays and use the plastic cases for storing other things.
Semi-Frosted Slate Blue Lined Gray Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
I used some of these this month in a pattern. Weirdly, they seemed to sort of recede back or appear further behind other beads on the same level of my piece (which is flat). Other beads seemed to project out. It ended up having some interesting dimensional effects, though, that I kind of liked.
Light Olive Lined Crystal Luster Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
The pattern I chose to make this month had a ton of light-colored beads in it, so I used quite a few of those. I think it turned out pretty well (see below).
Ruby Lined Emerald Luster Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
These actually go well with some of the superduos from last month’s review. (Individual clubs do not have matching themes within a given month.) I have quite a few patterns that use both superduos and 11/0 seed beads so it is nice to get a matching color.
Olive Lined Chartreuse Luster Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
There are a lot of interesting color combinations this month within individual beads. I do have a lot of chartreuse in my collection, so these will fit nicely.
Berry Lined Light Topaz AB Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
I think this is an interesting color combination. I know I frequently think seed beads with a bit of purple or berry in them would look good with silver, but the topaz here has me thinking about using brass or goldtone findings instead.
Matte Silver-Lined Olive Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
I used some of these in a bracelet this month (see below). I don’t have many greens in my collection right now, so it is always nice to get some. (I like having a huge stash so whenever a bead subscription comes, if I need some specific item, I can just go grab it instead of going shopping.)
Matte Silver-Lined Dark Gold Seed Beads – Listed Value $2.25
I like how the appearance of these changes a bit, depending on the angle at which you look at them. I don’t have many matte beads in my collection but that is one reason I am subscribed to this one – stash building!
Duracoat Galvanized Matte Champagne Seed Beads – Listed Value $4.75
Unfortunately, the original file for my photo of these was corrupted (time for a new SD card…) and since I used them in my project (see below), many are gone and the ones that are left are no longer in their original container. Miyuki Duracoat beads are kind of expensive so I pretty much never buy them myself, but am always happy to receive them in a box like this.
Here is a bracelet I made using five of the seed bead colors, some 11/0 Toho demi-rounds, some Delicas (the pattern called for hex cut Delicas but I didn’t have any), some 15/0 seed beads, and a length of green dyed leather from my collection. This is from the August 2017 issue of Bead & Button magazine if you would like to make one of your own. I used a Jewel Loom but any loom should do. This probably would’ve worked better with Toho seed beads instead of Miyuki, because there seems to be a little bit of a size mismatch, but overall, I think it turned out well. It feels like it took me all day on Sunday but I don’t think it was more than 3 hours, start to finish (including turning my house upside down to find a button with a shank…).
Verdict: I calculated a value for the July 2017 11/0 Seed Beads of the Month club of $20.50. That is a little bit under the cost of the subscription plus shipping. (It’s a savings of $2.55 over the listed retail price of the beads, but shipping is $4.50 for one club.) You can get a somewhat better deal by subscribing to multiple clubs and/or the double clubs, since a double club counts the same as a single when it comes to shipping. I should also point out, it is actually a little bit more money for fewer beads from some online retailers (for example, Caravan Beads sells 10 grams of the Duracoat seed beads for over $5, whereas here you are getting 12.5 grams for a listed value of $4.75), when you can even find the same colors, so the actual value is probably a little higher than the listed value.
I thought the colors this month went together nicely. I also liked receiving some interesting color lined combinations and some matte beads, neither of which would typically occur to me to buy, but which I can definitely make use of now that I have them. Also, I started in beading with seed beads, so even though the project took me a long time, I enjoyed doing it.
What did you think of the July 2017 11/0 Seed Beads of the Month club? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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