Dollar Bead Box Subscription Box Review – July 2017

Dollar Bead Box is a monthly delivery of beads and beading products. During a given month, reorder your favorite items from the Dollar Bead Box shop for just $1. (This deal is only available to subscribers.)

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 full Dollar Bead Box, which is $19.50 a month. 

The Subscription Box: Dollar Bead Box

The Cost: $19.50 + $4.50 shipping for the Dollar Bead Box, or $8 for the Dollar Bead Bag (4 strands of 3 mm Czech Fire Polish Beads and 4 strands of 4 mm Czech Fire Polish Beads in every bag); free shipping with 3- and 6-month subscriptions (plus get an additional discount on 6-month subscriptions)

The Products: Beads and beading-related items including but not limited to stringing materials, Swarovski crystals, vintage glass, freshwater pearls, buttons, and more.

Ships to: U.S.

Check out all of our Dollar Bead Box reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory! 

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

You’ll always get a brief letter and an item list from Dollar Bead Box.

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 could make it 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!

14 mm Czech Glass Button Bead in Opaque White with Satin Taupe (2)

These are totally my style and also match the color palette I’ve been using lately. I haven’t used them yet, but they fit nicely into my collection. (I am totally a bead hoarder.)

6 mm Antique Copper Plated Split Ring (100)

You know, I don’t think I have any other split rings. But I have a lot of antique copper, and I think these are better for going with lobster claw clasps than plain jump rings. You just get a more secure connection.

4-5 mm Brass Rollo Chain, 18”

Dollar Bead Box has been offering some really great heavier chains lately, and I am always happy to get them in my box. My chain collection is kind of dainty, but I have recently wanted more chains in heavier styles for charm bracelets and such. I’m quite happy with this.

6 mm Faceted Agate and Jasper Mix (10)

I like getting semi-precious stones. There are enough of these for a bracelet, or of course, you can buy more from the Dollar Bead Box shop and make something more complex. The color palette here appeals to me.

Black Agate Mix (6)

Another nice semi-precious selection here. These would also go pretty well in a bracelet, maybe with some brass chain. (I like to keep it simple–I have small wrists and delicate jewelry just works better for me. Plus, then you can stack bracelets!)

10 mm Silver-Plated Ball and Hoop/Hatch Clasp (1)

I don’t know if I have ever seen a clasp like this before. I like it a lot. It is secure when closed, but also easy to open and close one-handed. So it would be great for a bracelet.

3 x 5 mm Czech Glass Pinch Beads in Light Amethyst (40)

You’ll usually get a few strands of Czech glass with Dollar Bead Box. Pinch beads make frequent appearances here, so I went looking for patterns that use pinch beads. (See a link to one–free–below.) I used most of these to make a couple of “berry” motifs that I incorporated into a bracelet.

3 mm Czech Fire-Polished Rounds in Matte Aztec Gold (50)

You’ll also usually get some fire-polished beads here. This color went well with the brass chain and the pinch beads, so I used a few of these as accents.

8 x 12 mm Czech Glass Table Cut Rectangle in Beige and Olive with Travertine (17)

I think these are my favorite beads in the whole box. I just don’t quite know what to do with them yet. I’m sure I’ll come up with something soon. I really like the shape and the finish.

8 mm Swarovski Top-Drilled Bicone in Cyclamen Opal (2)

I don’t have too many top-drilled beads, but I’m seeing them more and more now. These would be good as dangles in earrings, and you wouldn’t even have to dig up some headpins to put them on. The color works well with a lot that’s in my collection.

8 mm Czech Fire-Polished Beads in Siam, Waterfall Cut (18)

These are beautiful. I love how the facets are a little different than your usual fire-polished beads. Maybe I am biased because red is my favorite color…

Czech Glass Fall Harvest Mix

There’s a lot going on here, but if you look at the beads included, there are plenty of pairs, so you could definitely get some earrings out of this collection.

Chinese Silk Cord in Medium Tangerine (2 feet)

In addition to the heavier chains I mentioned above, Dollar Bead Box has been getting some great silk cords and ribbons in stock. I’ve been making some pendants with shaped Czech beads lately, and these ribbons are a great way to turn them into quick necklaces.

3 mm Czech Glass M.C. Cuts Fuchsia (24)

OK, I had to look this up, but "M.C." stands for "machine cut." Anyway, I put some of these as accents in a bracelet with the pinch beads and gold fire-polished beads, but I have a few left if I want to make something else.

18 mm Czech Glass Tabular Square with Luster Finish in Purple (2)

I really like flat shapes (squares, rounds, ovals, etc.). So, of course, I was happy to see these. I’m not sure what I’ll do with them just yet, but that’s O.K. Sometimes it takes me a while to come up with an idea, but by building a huge stash, I nearly always have whatever bead I’m looking for when the time comes, without having to go out and make additional purchases.

Here is a bracelet I made with some of the items from the box. I used the pinch beads and some purple seed beads from my stash to make two of this motif (a free pattern from The Beadsmith), then added a few of the Matte Aztec Gold fire-polished beads and the 3 mm fuchsia Czech glass beads on eye pins, and finished things off with a little bit of the rollo chain on both sides.

Verdict: I did not calculate a value for the July 2017 Dollar Bead Box for the reasons explained above. There were 15 items so if you divide the cost of the box by the number of items, it is about $1.30 per item (or $1.60 if you count shipping in the total cost). I feel like I got a pretty good deal, especially considering that there were several Czech glass strands and some chain and some Swarovski. I also like the wider variety of items in their new shop (it is members-only; you get access to the shop with a subscription).

Please note that no directions are given as to how to use the beads, and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, and findings.

What did you think of the July 2017 Dollar Bead Box?  Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?