Dollar Bead Box Subscription Review – April 2018

Dollar Bead Box is a monthly delivery of beads and beading products. During a given month, reorder your favorite items from the Dollar Bead Box shop for just $1.00. (This deal is only available to subscribers.)

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

This review is of the full Dollar Bead Box, which is $19.50 a month. 

About Dollar Bead Box

The Subscription Box: Dollar Bead Box

The Cost: $19.50 + $4.50 shipping for the Dollar Bead Box, or $8 for the Dollar Bead Bag (4 strands of 3 mm Czech Fire Polish Beads and 4 strands of 4 mm Czech Fire Polish Beads in every bag); free US shipping with 3- and 6-month subscriptions (plus get an additional discount on 6-month subscriptions)

The Products: Beads and beading-related items including but not limited to stringing materials, Swarovski crystals, vintage glass, freshwater pearls, buttons, and more.

Ships to: US

Dollar Bead Box April 2018 Review

You’ll get a variety of different beads with this subscription. You can count on some strands and Czech glass nearly every month, but half the fun here is seeing what other random things show up. Let’s see what we got this month:

You’ll always get a brief letter and an item list from Dollar Bead Box. The item list is useful if you are looking to reorder something but don’t know what to call it; use the name to search their shop! (This list seems to have undergone a format update lately.)

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!

6mm Czech Glass Druk, Luster Finish (color varies, 36 pcs)

I’ve been on a 6mm round buying spree lately as I recently found a few patterns that incorporate them. This is a darker color that’s hard to describe (sorry about the blue background, Angus got ahold of my neutral one and it’s not in good shape now, but I did just order a few new ones from the Dollar Bead Box shop, so it’ll be back to neutral soon) but I think it will look good in contrast with some purples, reds, or blues.

0.015in Beadalon Stringing Wire in Satin Gold (20 feet)

You’ll often get at least one stringing material (loosely defined, and that could mean a ribbon or cord or chain) in Dollar Bead Box. This is more of a stash “staple” for me and it will be nice to have around for future stringing projects.

6mm Czech Glass Bicone in Opaque Light Periwinkle (25 pcs)

These are a fun spring color and have smoother edges than traditional crystal bicones, so I think they’d work well in some softer, more organic designs.

24 mm Resin Flowers (spring colors, 6 pcs)

I love these but I’m not sure how to use them yet. I think I might order more so I can really go crazy with them. The colors definitely appeal to me (the brighter, the better).

12 x 18 mm Czech Glass Tabular Rectangle in Beige Opal (2 pcs)

I am a fan of flat squares, coins, rectangles, etc. So these are perfect for me. You could use them in earrings (that’s the first thing that comes to mind, anyway), but they also might be nice just strung with some spacers (you’d need to order a few more) in a bracelet or necklace.

3 x 6 mm Czech Glass Gem Cut Rondelle (spring colors, 35 pcs)

You’ll get a few strands of Czech glass pretty much every month with this subscription. They can vary a lot. But this green color is a good fit for my collection; this is a color I’ve been stocking up on lately as I think it looks good with both copper and brass (my metals of choice because they are inexpensive…).

8 mm Czech Glass Heart in Green White Opal (8 pcs)

I’m happy to get multiples of these as it really opens up the design possibilities. I am very small-boned so they are probably a little too big to be used as bracelet charms (for me, anyway), but I think they could work as dangles on headpins in a necklace or earrings.

12 mm Czech Glass Ladybug in Opaque White with Pink Wash (2 pcs)

Here is another fun springtime bead! I like the non-traditional color pattern (it’s actually probably easier to see the details that way). I am really liking the variety of Czech glass this month. (I naturally think “earrings” with these, too, because of the number, but don’t let that limit you – you can buy more of pretty much everything in the package on the Dollar Bead Box website if you are a member.)

4 mm Lava Bead (88 pcs)

We got some larger lava beads last month and now we have these 4mm ones. You can add a few drops of fragrance to these and it will diffuse over the course of a day. Or you can just make use of the matte black appearance in your designs. I used some of these in a bracelet, which you can see below.

8 x 10 mm Freshwater Potato Pearl with Crystals (1 pc)

I have always liked beads like this but have never had a chance to work with them before. (They tend to be expensive.) I am happy to have this one. I suspect I am going to use it as a centerpiece in a very delicate necklace.

4 mm Czech Glass Druk in Opaque Red (50 pcs)

I am hoarding 4 mm rounds at the moment. This is not a color I have much of at the moment (although I do like red an awful lot). I used some of these in my bracelet this month.

16 mm Czech Glass Table Cut Square in Opaque Red with Copper Luster (1 pc)

You’ll get one or two table cut beads per month with Dollar Bead Box. This is a good opportunity to see them up close before committing to a larger order. Sometimes I take it as a challenge to figure out ways to use a single bead like this. This one made it into my bracelet this month.

6 x 9 mm Czech Glass Gem Cut Rondelle in Amethyst/White Opal (25 pcs)

So here is another bead type (and size) I’ve been obsessed with lately. I bought a bunch of Chinese crystal rondelles in more traditional colors but to get this mottled appearance, you really need to go to Czech glass, which has some of the most interesting (and beautiful) finishes. These will match lots of things in my stash quite nicely.

12-14 mm Lepidocrocite Bead (natural color, 1 pc)

It’s rare to get an undyed gemstone. Seems like everything is color-enhanced these days. I looked up lepidocrocite since I hadn’t heard of it, and it is an iron oxide/hydroxide mineral, hence the reddish color.

10 mm Czech Glass Shell in Ocean Blue Opal (7 pcs)

I got some similar beads in Bead Crate last month and I think I will use those together with these since the colors go together. (As an aside, this is a bead that should probably not be photographed on a blue background, but as I said earlier, I have new neutral ones that will work better. I promise to keep them away from Angus.)

6 mm Split Ring (brass with sterling silver plating, 100 pcs)

These are called “spring rings” on the information list but I have always heard this type of finding referred to as a split ring (with a spring ring being something else). Anyway, these can be used in place of jump rings for a more secure attachment for charms on a jewelry piece that will get a lot of wear, or what I like to do is use them when attaching clasps to beadwoven pieces, as I feel they are less likely to slip off my beading thread. I have some in copper and brass finishes, and now I have this silver-tone one, as well.

8 mm Czech Glass Flower in Purple Opal (4 pcs)

These look mostly white but they do have a tinge of purple in some lights. These are pretty delicate and totally lightweight enough for dangly earrings or something similar.

Here is a bracelet I made with the tabular square, red druks, and lava beads. I know, not exactly “springlike” after all the ladybugs and pastels and flowers, but it was the first idea I had and anyway, I accidentally bought 125 feet of smoke-colored Fireline (I meant to get the clear kind) that I need to use for something. This is a simple right-angle weave strip with some copper findings to match the copper in the tabular square (that’s totally not showing up in this lighting) and a tassel I bought from the Dollar Bead Box shop.

Verdict: I did not calculate a value for the April 2018 Dollar Bead Box, for reasons explained above. There were 17 items (if I counted right) so if you divide the cost of the box by the number of items, it is about $1.15 per item. The mix was eclectic this month, but that’s usually the case, and I was able to come up with one idea right away (and there are still a lot of fun beads waiting for me later on).

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, but if there is an item that appeals to you, if you become a Dollar Bead Box member, you can order items from past Dollar Bead Boxes from the Dollar Bead Box shop for $1 each (plus shipping).

Value Breakdown: At $19.50 for this subscription, you are paying about $1.15 per item.

Check out all of our Dollar Bead Box reviews and 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 April 2018 Dollar Bead Box?  Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?