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Blueberry Cove Beads Subscription Box Review – April 2018

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleyMay 6, 2018 | 2 comments

closed Blueberry Cove box

Blueberry Cove Beads
4.8 overall rating
4 Ratings | 2 Reviews

Blueberry Cove Beads is a beading subscription from Canada. Every month they ship beads and supplies and post a challenge incorporating one or more items from the box. If you choose to enter the challenge, you can share photos of your project and may win your next month’s box free!

black pouch

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Blueberry Cove April 2018 review

About Blueberry Cove Beads

The Subscription Box: Blueberry Cove Beads

The Cost: $22 per month plus $3.50 shipping to Canada, $5 shipping to the US, or $8.50 shipping internationally

The Products: A curated selection of beads and findings centered on a theme.

Ships to: U.S. and Canada

Good to know: You will receive this towards the end of the month or the beginning of the next month if you live in the U.S. since it is shipping from Canada. (Blueberry Cove Beads did recently start using a new shipping service so now you can track your packages, though!)

Blueberry Cove Beads April 2018 Review

Blueberry Cove Beads shipments always center around a theme. This month was inspired by a Queen Victoria and Prince Albert:

There isn’t a traditional information card with this box. This month’s challenge was to make a necklace. (I don’t always do the challenges.)

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. Even different colors of the same size and shape of glass beads are priced differently due to materials needed to make the colors!  So I have opted not to provide prices in this review.

Please note that no directions are given and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, and findings. Also, note that you will receive this towards the end of the month or the beginning of the next month if you live in the US since it is shipping from Canada. (Blueberry Cove Beads did recently start using a new shipping service so now you can track your packages, though!)

Silvertone Bead Frames

Silvertone Bead Frames

You can stick headpins or eyepins through these and add some beads, or I think they would also work reasonably well as chandelier earring findings if you added some dangles to the scrollwork area at the bottom.

Black Crystals beads

Black Crystals

These could just be cut glass instead of crystal, it’s hard to tell, but they do look nice. Black is kind of a severe color for jewelry but it is also very formal. I used some of these in a bracelet this month and I am looking forward to seeing what else I can come up with for these.

Brass Crown Charms

Brass Crown Charms

These fit the royal theme for sure. You’ll notice they have a different metal finish (an oxidized brass) than the bead frames. You won’t always get matching findings with this subscription so it helps to have a big stash of jump rings, chain, etc. Luckily, I do! These are small enough to go on a charm bracelet or in earrings.

Brass Links

Brass Links

These called to me, this month. I used some of them in a bracelet, which you can see below. There were some small holes I took advantage of, but I didn’t make a longer piece because some of the small holes were blocked by the plating. There were still enough usable ones to do something fun, though.

Pendant Cage

Pendant Cage

This is unique – a hinged cage that you can put a bead inside. I don’t think I’ve ever received one of these before. You could put something bright in there, so you can see it through the openings, or you could put a lava bead with some essential oil in there so you can go around smelling it throughout the day. There are a lot of possibilities here.

Champagne Colored Faux Pearls

Champagne Colored Faux Pearls

There were two strands of faux pearls this month. I chose to use both and I think it worked out. I have to admit, I like the variety of *almost* monochromatic stuff this month – I don’t usually go for neutrals, but something about all the black, white, gray, and tan in this box appeals to me.

Gray Coin-Shaped Crystals

Gray Coin-Shaped Crystals

These could also be cut glass instead of crystal, I really don’t know. But they’re a great shape and the beads appear to be high quality, with lots of shine and no scratches or blocked holes or anything. I didn’t use these this time but I am sure they will come in handy soon.

Floral Rounds beads

Floral Rounds

I think these are lampworked glass but I could be wrong. I have some porcelain beads with similar colors and I think I may string them all into a bracelet together.

Silvertone Key Charms

Silvertone Key Charms

I am starting to get quite the collection of lock- and key-themed charms. I will have to make a charm bracelet one of these days, incorporating all these different elements. I like that these are rather small, which will offset some of the larger charms in my collection.

Large Crystal Beads

Large Crystal Beads

Again, I am not sure of the material here, but these do have the look of some Chinese crystal I have in my stash. I don’t have an idea of how I want to use these yet but I am leaning towards putting them in a necklace since they are a little large for bracelet beads for me.

Faux Pearl Teardrops

Faux Pearl Teardrops

I feel like these just have to go in chandelier earrings. I think I will try to find some black-finished findings to go with them. (I am very into the black metal finish lately.)

Resin Flowers

Resin Flowers

You could put one of these into the silver cage, they would show through nicely. But they are also small enough for a bracelet for me. (Just guessing on the material. I gather they post materials lists in a Facebook group later in the month, but I don’t have a Facebook account so I can’t access the lists.)

Silvertone Crown Charms

Silvertone Crown Charms

These are a little different from the brass oxide ones, but a similar size and they’d also work for either charm bracelets or earrings.

White Faux Pearls beads

White Faux Pearls

Here’s the second color of faux pearls for the month. They do match the teardrops pretty well, and they are the same size as the “champagne” ones, and they contrast nicely with the black crystals, so there are a lot of directions you could go with these. I used some in a bracelet, but think I want to wire the rest into pearl clusters.

I’ve been wanting to try beading on filigrees, and I could kind of attempt that this month with the brass links. I have since discovered, this bracelet is super fragile, the way I made it, and I probably need to do something to shore it up, or as soon as I hit my arm on something, it’ll break. (It mostly has to do with the thread attaching the beads to the backing.) But, it looks nice in the meantime.

Verdict: I did not calculate a value here because it is hard to find similar items when you don’t know the precise materials the beads are made from (I do wish there was more information on the card that comes with the box, in case I find something I’d like to order more of). There were 14 types of beads so you are paying about $1.93 an item once you factor in the cost of shipping. I think that is reasonable, especially since there were quite a few charms and crystals this month.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box would be May's. From Blueberry Cove Beads:

Members are billed on the 3rd of each month and boxes are mailed out around the 9th of the month.

Sometimes leftover monthly boxes show up in the Blueberry Cove Beads shop and they occasionally have sales, too!

Value Breakdown: This box cost me $22 + $5 shipping, which means that each of the 14 items in the box has an average cost of $1.93.

Check out all of our Blueberry Cove Bead reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great craft supply and DIY project boxes!

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

What did you think of the April 2018 Blueberry Cove Beads? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?

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Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

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2 comments

Resa

Oh my! That is a gorgeous bracelet! I love reading your reviews just to see what you’ve made at the end. I see all the beautiful beads but could never envision a finished product unless I have instructions! 😉 You have amazing talents!

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Caligirl

Ditto

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