Facet Jewelry Box is a subscription box from the editors at Facet Jewelry and Bead & Button magazine. They offer two versions: the “Quick and Easy Stringing” box and the “Bead Stitching” box, so you can choose a subscription based on your skill level and interests, as well as the amount of time you want to invest in the projects.
This is a review of the $24.95 a month “Bead Stitching” box (both versions cost the same).
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Facet Jewelry Box
The Subscription Box: Facet Jewelry Box (Bead Stitching Version)
The Cost: $24.95 per month on a month-to-month basis, save with longer subscriptions.
LIMITED TIME DEAL: Use code SAVE50 for 50% off your first box!
The Products: Materials and instructions to complete two beading/jewelry making projects using bead stitching techniques.
Ships to: US (free) and international (shipping fee will be assessed during checkout and you will be responsible for customs charges, VAT, receiving charges, etc., as appropriate for your location)
Facet Jewelry Box (Bead Stitching Version) December 2018 Review
I am never sure whether I’ll be working on a project for days or just a few hours with this subscription:
The first thing you see when you open the box is this full-color booklet. I haven’t shown you all of the pages inside, because part of the subscription fee is for the projects that are included.
This is a really nice-looking booklet, honestly, but I’d expect nothing less from the folks at Bead & Button (I’ve been a subscriber for a while now). There are also links to online resources if you need a little help with a technique.
Pearl Luster Bracelet
This was a right-angle weave project and that is a technique I am very familiar with so this worked up quickly. (Tip: if your weave is too loose, go around each unit a second time with thread and pull tight. This technique has worked wonders for me.) But, you may be thinking, “that finished bracelet looks REALLY short.” And you’d be right. I was using this chart, provided in the booklet, for length:
And that was a big mistake. You will notice the text under the chart says each unit adds 3/8” but the numbers increment by unit each in the actual chart and the measurements increment by 1/2”. Well, 3/8” is less than 1/2” and it’s off by enough that it severely affects bracelet length. I made what *should* have been five inches of bead weaving according to the chart (which should’ve been made longer by the addition of the clasp), and I guess I should have measured to confirm, but this bracelet could only just be squeezed onto my wrist by really tugging at the clasp and it was actually too small for my bracelet form. (For reference, my wrist is 5.25”.)
Anyway, if you have a larger wrist size, this is going to be even more of a problem for you and will get worse for the largest sizes in the chart, so definitely check the length of your beadwork before you add the clasp. I am going to have to take one half of the clasp off and add a few more units to make this more comfortable.
Winter Wonderland Earrings
OK, so this project was super frustrating to me on a number of levels. First off, if you look at the picture of the finished product they provide from the booklet, it is using the “smoke” colored thread provided in the box. But, I am of the school of thought that thread should not be a primary feature of the appearance of beadwoven jewelry, and I thought “smoke” thread with white beads was honestly kind of ugly. So, I used some “crystal” Fireline that I had in my stash.
Anyway, second problem: I found the instructions unclear. I normally rely largely on pictures and only refer to the text when necessary. The first beadwoven unit I managed to make was sort of inside out and the rows were all wrong and I had to take it apart and use part of the directions and part of the actual finished photo of the item to get something that looked like it was supposed to. I never could get my beadwork to really tighten up, even going around each newly-added bead with extra thread.
Third problem: because I couldn’t get this to tighten up when the directions said to slip a 4mm firepolished bead onto the bit with the crystal dangle, the white beaded units were far too large to be stopped by a 4mm bead and nearly slid off the end of the crystal. Now, I had already taken one of these units apart and remade it and I was getting frustrated by this point, so I went into my stash and found some 6mm firepolished beads instead (those are the ones of a slightly different color with the AB coating). And the white beaded unit was almost even too big for one of those!
I think if I had to do this over again, I would add some seed beads between all the firepolished beads on the top and bottom rows of the white units. Then you could cinch the seed beads into a ring that was actually not too big.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Facet Jewelry Box, but you get the materials and instructions for making two complete pieces of jewelry. These projects usually take longer than with the stringing version of the box, but I can see how they appeal to a different crowd. This month, the time commitment was not so bad but this was not the best month for instructions, as outlined above, and that led to a lot of frustration.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Boxes go out after the 20th and people who sign up before the 15th will get that month’s box. If you sign up after the 15th, you may still be able to get that month’s box but this is not guaranteed.
LIMITED TIME DEAL: Use code SAVE50 for 50% off your first box!
Value Breakdown: At $24.95 per box, you are paying about $12.48 per project.
Check out all of our Facet Jewelry Box reviews and more beading boxes in the Craft + DIY Subscription Box List!
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What did you think of the December 2018 Bead Stitching Facet Jewelry Box? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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