Adornable Elements Beads of the Month Club Review – February 2018

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 2-Hole Beads of the Month, which is $22.95/month.

About Adornable Elements Beads of the Month Club

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 2-Hole Beads of the Month, which is $22.95/month for 8 different types of color-coordinated 2-hole Japanese and/or Czech shaped 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 (that’s why the box is so big). I’m going to do a rotation with these reviews so you’ll see something a little different each month. Also, please note that you can cancel or add clubs by calling, emailing, or using the contact form on their website.

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)

Adornable Elements Beads of the Month February 2018 “Tropical Toucan” Review

With this subscription, you receive a selection of 2-hole beads (in case you didn’t know, these are pretty trendy right now in the beading world) in coordinating colors each month:

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 “Tropical Toucan.” For what it’s worth, I really think the colors fit the themes and go together nicely with these subscriptions.

Opaque Red Kite Beads, 6.25 g – Listed Value $3

Kite beads are a semi-new shape (seems new shapes are coming out every month!) in an off-centered diamond with holes parallel to the short axis. To some degree, these work with patterns for diamond-shaped beads (e.g., Diamonduos and Gemduos), but there are also lots of new patterns exclusively for these. I haven’t used them yet, but I really like the opaque red color.

Opaque Red Groovy Tiles, 28 pieces – Listed Value $3

Groovy tiles are squares with some surface texture. They work in the same patterns as regular Czech tile beads (not Japanese Tila beads, as Tilas are a little smaller). I don’t have too many groovy tiles so I am happy to add these to my collection.

Jet Miniduos, 6.25 g – Listed Value $2

You won’t get superduos with this subscription since Adornable Elements has a separate superduo subscription, but you will sometimes get their smaller cousins, “miniduos.” Black is such a nice, basic color. I already used most of these (see the bracelet below).

Red/Black Daggers, 24 pieces – Listed Value $3.25

One of the fun things to do with dagger beads is to use them in the last row of beading in a superduo pattern for a dramatic “fringe” effect. Or they also work well as the petals in flower designs. These are the two-hole variety of daggers (of course!) which are a bit easier to place precisely than their one-holed counterparts.

Opaque Jonquil Kheops Par Puca, 7.5 g – Listed Value $4.25

Bright yellow is such a fun color and one I don’t have much of in my stash. You’ll see a lot of Kheops Par Puca beads in this subscription but there are a lot of patterns out there that use them!

Matte Opaque Orange AB Half Tilas, 6.25 g – Listed Value $4

Half Tilas are like Tilas but half size (just for fun, Quarter Tilas also now exist). These are Japanese (most of the rest of these 2-hole beads are Czech glass) from the Miyuki company. They don’t come in as many colors and finishes as Czech glass, but they are super uniform in size and shape. There are a ton of patterns out there using Half Tilas and I definitely don’t have much of this orange color yet.

Opaque Orange Tilas, 6.25 g – Listed Value $4

Here are some full-size Tilas. They are a little smaller than Czech tiles (or groovy tiles). I used a bunch of these in a bracelet this month, which you can see below. These have slightly different textures on the top and bottom but you have to look super closely to notice.

8mm Lemon Candy Beads, 15 pieces – Listed Value $3.50

Candy beads come in a few slightly different sizes and are different from Discduos and 2-hole cabochons. There are tons of patterns that call for candy beads, though, and these yellow ones would be perfect as the centers of flower motifs.

Here is a bracelet I made using the miniduos and Tilas as well as some size 11 seed beads I had on hand. It has a bit more of a Halloween-y look than I expected but I actually do have a dress this will match. This is from Deb Roberti’s Tila Twin Wiggle Bracelet pattern (which calls for Preciosa Twin beads instead of miniduos, but I found that miniduos work pretty well in this pattern also).

Verdict: I calculated a value for the February 2018 2-Hole Beads of the Month Club of $27.  This is a few cents short of the cost of the box plus shipping. The way to make up the difference here is to buy more beads! I save on shipping because I get three clubs (I just review one per month) and you can also save a little more by going for the double clubs.

More importantly, I really, really love 2-hole beads, and they can be expensive. There are so many great patterns coming out with these beads lately and it’s great to have enough to just work up a bracelet or some earrings in a day or two. The color coordination means all I usually need to add are some seed beads and I’m good to go with lots of different patterns.

To Wrap Up:

Can I still get this box if I sign up today? You would most likely get March’s box as your first month. Adornable Elements ships your first box when you sign up, but it is getting pretty late in the month at this point. Regular monthly shipments occur in the first week or so of the month.

Value Breakdown: At $27.45 (including shipping) for this box, you are paying about $3.43 per item.

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!

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

What did you think of the February 2018 2-Hole Beads of the Month Club?  Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?