Bargain Bead Box is a monthly subscription promising over $40 worth of quality jewelry-making supplies every month.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Bargain Bead Box
The Subscription Box: Bargain Bead Box
The Cost: $15.95
The Products: Designer-quality beads in materials like crystal, glass, and semiprecious gemstones, plus metal beads and findings. Bargain Bead Box does not send any plastic beads or seed beads.
Ships to: US (free), Canada for $7.50
Bargain Bead Box January 2019 “Winter Wonderland” Review
Bargain Bead Box always includes a few clasps and other findings in matching metal tones; this month they were in an oxidized brass finish. Here’s more about the specific items in the box this month:
There was a letter in the box with some more information on the theme (“Winter Wonderland”). The back contained a list of the month’s beads. There’s always a coupon for 30% off their retail website, too.
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!
20 Pieces 8mm Dotted Round Bead Caps
You’ll get a lot of bead caps in this subscription. All the metal beads and findings provided will be in the same metal tone, which is nice for design purposes. This month, we got rose gold as the finish (you’ll normally receive antique copper, antique silver, brass, etc., but every now and then there will be a rose gold month). I used some of these in a bracelet.
100+ Pieces 4mm Crystal Bicone Beads
I am liking this month’s color scheme so far. The whites and clears look nice with a touch of color from the rose gold, and they’re so appropriate for winter. These are Chinese crystal bicones (you’ll get a lot of Chinese crystal with this subscription) and they have some nice sparkle. Plus you get a lot of them.
4 Pieces 38 x 19mm Branch Pendant Links
You can use these as pendants or you can hook a jump ring through a leaf to make them links. (Yes, those are cat hairs. Hard to avoid them at my house.) These are pretty lightweight so they might even work in earrings. I think some wire wrapping could really make these stand out.
12 Pieces 12 x 16mm Crystal Teardrop Briolette Beads
I like briolette beads and I especially like getting more than just 2 or 4 of them. These go nicely with the other crystal (cubes, bicones, rondelles).
1m 3 x 2mm Steel Rolo Jewelry Chain
You’ll usually get a length of chain with this subscription. It is typically plated steel chain, which you need to keep in mind for two reasons: plating on metals can decrease in thickness and eventually wear through if worn in close contact with the skin on a regular basis and also, you’ll want to use heavy-duty wire cutters since this is steel, which may damage regular jewelry-grade wire cutters.
4 Sets Round Toggle Clasps
You’ll also always get clasps with this subscription. These are large enough to work for a necklace or heavier bracelet.
20 Pieces 6mm Crystal Cube Beads
Cubes are sort of rare in terms of crystal shapes you’ll receive in this box. These are clear and would look good with any metal tone.
10g 21 Gauge 6mm Steel Jump Rings, Rose Gold Finish
This is just a useful item. You don’t get jump rings in subscription boxes very often. I know when we received our first rose gold Bargain Bead Box several years ago, I had to go out and buy a bunch of rose gold findings (and I have a huge stash). So if you are newer to beading or to this subscription, you’ll probably be needing these!
7.5” Strand 8mm Matte Crackle Agate Round Beads
You’ll occasionally receive semiprecious stone beads in Bargain Bead Box. These are larger agate rounds with a matte finish and I think they look great with the rest of the box contents. I used a few of these in my bracelet this month.
Hand-Wrapped Natural Quartz Crystal Tree of Life Pendant
This one took me a moment to parse because when I opened it, I only saw a coil of wire on the back. But it is actually a fully-wrapped pendant with a tree design. I think this is an interesting take on those circular tree of life pendants. (You’ll often get one or two large pendants in this subscription.)
40 Pieces 8 x 6mm Crystal Rondelle Beads
I am loving all the clear faceted beads this month. I have wanted for a while to make something using crystal faceted beads and little else, as it would be so sparkly and match so many outfits, and getting these has moved me closer to that eventual goal. I also used a few of these in a bracelet.
5 Pieces Electroplated Natural Quartz Crystal Rough Nugget Beads
If you want to go more Boho with your design, these could work. (We have started to receive more drilled and wrapped crystal points in this subscription, and these nuggets fit that aesthetic really well.) The electroplating, I think, enhances the natural color of these beads without seeming too artificial.
10” Strand 6 x 4mm Sea “Opal” Glass Rondelle Beads
“Sea opal” is a milky, translucent glass that looks a lot like a semiprecious stone. These are smooth rondelles that would be excellent spacers in a variety of designs.
50 Pieces 3.5mm Tribal-Style Spacer Beads
You’ll usually receive at least one metal accent bead and this month, it is these rather small faceted metal spacers. I used a few of these in a bracelet, which you can see below.
I know I make wrap bracelets kind of often, but I bought a WrapIt Loom when Beadaholique was having a sale over the holidays and I wanted to try it out. It is not too hard to set up, which is great, but one thing I did not think about and should have is that you need a longer bracelet when you are using bigger (i.e., non-seed) beads, so this did end up a little too short for me. I will take it apart and reclaim the beads at some point, probably to make a longer version of the same bracelet.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Bargain Bead Box, as explained above. The information sheet gives a retail value of about $56 and I can believe that value if you were to go out looking for similar beads to purchase individually. There is definitely enough here to make several pieces of jewelry, too. Looking at it another way, you are paying just over $1 per item since the price is $15.95 and there were 14 items this month. And THAT is a pretty good deal. I really like the combination of rose gold and white and appreciate getting jump rings (such a basic item but if you don’t have much (or any) rose gold around, it’s something you most likely need.
Please note that no directions are given and you have to supply your own needles, stringing materials, tools, etc.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you would receive the February 2019 box as your first one, although they do sometimes offer past boxes on their site, and individual items can sometimes be purchased from Bead Box Bargains.
Value Breakdown: At $15.95 for this subscription, you are paying about $1.14 per item.
Check out all of our Bargain Bead Box reviews and more craft subscription boxes in the DIY Subscription Box List!
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What did you think of the January 2019 Bargain Bead Box? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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