BeadCrate Subscription Box Review – June 2018

BeadCrate is a monthly subscription box for beading enthusiasts. Choose from “The Enthusiast” for $18.99 a month or “The Collector” for $35 a month. You can also buy a single box to see if this subscription is for you.

This review is of The Enthusiast, $18.99 a month, box.

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

About BeadCrate

The Subscription Box: BeadCrate

The Cost: $18.99 a month + $5 shipping. 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”)

BeadCrate June 2018 “Mucha-Do About Nothing” Review

BeadCrate is great for stash-building if you are into seed beads and Czech glass, and you’ll also usually get some useful supplies:

This letter/information sheet accompanied the shipment. The theme this month was “Mucha-Do About Nothing” (which is an Art Nouveau reference explained in the booklet).

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 x 8 mm Rosaline Bell Flowers (Czech glass, 25)

I have a lot of pink in my stash so even though I haven’t used these yet, I have a lot of coordinating beads. I actually just bought a bunch of bell flowers because I’d seen an example of them in use and thought I’d like to try it – now I just have to sort through my dozens of bead-related bookmarks to recall it again. At any rate, these are great for an Art Nouveau-themed box.

3mm Saturated Metallic Neutral Gray Firepolished Rounds (Czech glass, 50)

I am a fan of the saturated metallic finish although I have to say, these look more of a blue to me than a neutral gray (sometimes bead color names are a mystery to me, honestly, though). 3mm rounds are always useful to have around for patterns and I think these would look good with either silver-tone or brass findings.

28 x 19mm Vintaj Filigree Fans (USA Brass, 2)

You’ll usually get a couple of name brand metal components in BeadCrate and this month they are from Vintaj, which is a really fun company that makes lots of stamping blanks, findings, and components in various cool finishes. (I have a large stash of Vintaj stuff already.) I went on a spree last year buying black-finish metal (chain, jump rings, etc.) so of course, I had to use some of that stuff with these in a necklace this month, which you can see below.

4mm Metal Luster Crystal Firepolished Rounds (Czech glass, 50)

These are kind of a milky white color that I think would look good with pastels or with some blues in a wintry color scheme. Like 3mm rounds, 4mm rounds are also good for use in a lot of different patterns, and that’s likely how these will get used.

6 x 9mm Peridot AB Tear Drops (Czech glass, 25)

These are drilled down the long axis and I think I’ll end up stringing them on headpins and hanging them from a multi-hole crescent pendant. This color will go with a lot in my current stash and I think would work nicely with either copper or brass.

Beadsmith Necklace Memory Wire (12 turns)

I used to make memory wire necklaces all the time (we’re talking 20 years ago), so this takes me back. Some tips: get memory wire cutters instead of using your regular wire cutters, because memory wire is HARD and will damage your regular wire cutters, and also either glue on half-drilled ball ends or get some memory wire bending pliers because it is tough to bend this with regular round-nose pliers. (If you choose to make loops, you can dangle charms off them, or add a clasp to make sure you don’t lose your necklace.) Anyway, you’ll often get one tool or stringing material in BeadCrate, usually something name brand, and this was that item, this month.

52 x 33mm Vintaj Fairy Flight Connector (USA Brass, 1)

Here is another Vintaj component in a black finish. I also used this in a necklace this month, which you can see below. (If you are looking for more Vintaj, tons of different beading suppliers on the web carry their items.)

5mm Clear Capri Gold Pinch Beads (Czech glass, 50)

I’m always excited to get shaped beads for use in patterns. These pinch beads will definitely come in handy, and I have a lot of other shaped beads with a capri gold color in some form or another, so these will coordinate well with the rest of my stash.

6mm Amethyst Antique Style Octagons (Czech glass, 10)

Sometimes I am not sure what to do with beads when I only get a handful of one type, but I came up with an idea using these and I think it turned out well. See if you can spot them below!

11/0 Toho Opaque Light Beige Seed Beads (Japanese glass, 16g)

You’ll usually get one type of seed beads with BeadCrate, most often size 8/0 or 11/0, and typically Toho brand. I didn’t use any seed beads this month, but these are such a classic neutral color that they will work with a number of different patterns/projects.

6mm Milky Topaz Firepolished Rounds (Czech glass, 25)

This is an interesting finish and one I am starting to see more of, these days. I used a handful of these in a necklace, which you can see below, but I have a few more left if I decide I want matching earrings.

8 x 12 mm Siam Ruby Vega Tulips (Czech glass, 10)

I used all of these in a necklace. I really liked the slightly different take on jewel tones this month, like with the finish here (or the milky firepolished rounds just above). You still get those bright colors, but with a bit of an aged look that I think worked well with the black metal components.

10mm Halo Sky Antique Cut Rounds (Czech glass, 4)

I’ve got a few other beads in this shape in my collection, though in slightly different colors. I’m wondering if I can use them all together, perhaps with some brass oxide looking metal beads or findings for contrast.

Here are some pictures of a necklace I made using the Vintaj components, the tulip beads, the topaz firepolished beads, and the amethyst octagons. The black chain, jump rings, wire, and clasp are from my stash. (I used so much up I figure it is an excuse to buy more. Time for shopping!)

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 (I counted 13), you get about $1.85 per item. I am a big fan of the various Vintaj product lines and was happy to get to work with a couple of Vintaj components here (and also to dig into my stash of black-finished metal findings).

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

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your subscription would start with the July box. Destash items and excess inventory (and sometimes whole boxes) may occasionally be available in the BeadCrate Etsy shop.

Value Breakdown: At $18.99 a month + $5 shipping for this subscription, you are paying about $1.85 per item.

Check out all my BeadCrate reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great beading, 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 June BeadCrate? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?