Dollar Bead Box Subscription Review – December 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. (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.)

About Dollar Bead Box

The Subscription Box: Dollar Bead Box

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

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 shipping with 3- and 6-month subscriptions (plus get an additional discount on 6-month subscriptions)

Ships to: US ($4.50 on a month-to-month subscription, free with longer subscriptions)

Visit the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great beading, craft supply, and DIY project boxes.

Dollar Bead Box December 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:

The box usually comes with an information sheet that has a letter on one side and an item list on the back.

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!

4mm Czech Glass Druk (33)

These have almost a stone look about them. I hoard 4mm glass rounds because they are so useful in patterns. I don’t have a lot in my stash in this color scheme but I am sure if I go looking, I can find some matching beads.

8mm Czech Firepolished Rounds (16)

There were a lot of firepolished beads this month. These were the largest. The colors this month were essentially random, and these didn’t happen to go with the other beads I used in the necklace I made, but I am sure I will have an idea for them soon.

5mm Czech Firepolished Rounds (25)

I went with mostly browns and earth tones for the necklace I made, and these fit nicely. 5mm is not a size I come across often but it is pretty easy to incorporate into graduated right-angle weave pieces.

6mm Czech Firepolished Rounds (25)

These are a Siam or ruby color with a luster coating. Anyway, I did use these. They are getting a little bit out there with the overall color scheme but I think it ultimately worked.

4mm Czech Firepolished Rounds (50)

I used a lot of these as well. This is another unusual color for my stash but most of them are actually gone. Since there was a larger number of these than some of the other beads, I did a few more rows with them in my necklace.

3 x 5 mm Czech Glass Pinch Beads (35)

I like pinch beads and have a go-to pattern for them (free on the Beadsmith website) but I’ve used that before in one of these reviews and wanted to do something a little different so these are going in my stash for now.

2.5 x 6mm Czech Glass Baby Dagger (86)

Now here is a color that will work well with my stash. I have been hoarding a color palette that is essentially “stuff that will look good with copper.” Now I just need to find a good pattern for small daggers (or else come up with something on my own).

12 x 16 mm Tabular Oval (11)

I have a fondness for red beads even though I haven’t bought too many lately. Back when I was in college, I collected a ton, and I still have some of those. So I’m sure I will be using these soon.

6 x 6 mm Lucerna Bicone (25 x 2 strands)

Every box had two strands of these. I used the tortoise-looking ones on top in my necklace but the purple ones fit well with the color palette I’ve been into lately and I may do something similar with them.

3mm Czech Firepolished Rounds (50)

These were the smallest of this month’s fire polished rounds and they did make it into my necklace. I like the sparkle provided by the finish here, and I think it’s better on the ends than in the middle of my piece, so it’s convenient these were the small ones.

6 x 14mm Czech Glass Table-Cut Paddle (8)

I’m not sure where “paddle” comes from in the name of these, but these were the only table-cut beads this month and the number matches. Anyway, I feel like I’m going to have an easier time using these than I do when we only get one or two of something.

6mm Czech Glass Mushroom (22)

I have a few mushroom beads in my collection. I do have a pattern that uses them, but I didn’t make it this month because it really doesn’t use many other beads from this box and I wanted to try to use at least 4 or 5 items from the box in whatever I made.

5 x 10mm Czech Glass Teardrop (24)

I don’t see these too often but I have managed to collect a few from Dollar Bead Box. I really like the finish on these, I think it is vega maybe? (Vega is usually an amethyst finish over red.)

6mm Czech Glass 2-Hole Lentil (50)

I have a ton of 2-hole lentils but I don’t know if I have any in this color. Anyway, these are very handy in all kinds of patterns and I am happy to see them.

6mm Czech Glass Lentil (50)

There are also some one-hole lentils. (Four-hole lentils exist as well, for what it’s worth.) These can be used as drops or fringe or as flower petals in round patterns.

5 x 16mm Czech Glass Dagger (25)

These are cool. I would call this finish “splash.” At least, that’s what I’ve seen it called elsewhere when silver or gold (or sometimes copper) is randomly distributed over the surface of a bead of another color. I don’t think I have any other daggers with the splash finish and black is easy to incorporate into lots of designs.

8 x 13mm Czech Glass Flower (12)

These are also sometimes called 3-petal flowers. Anyway, I like this opalescent purple color and I don’t have any of these in my stash yet, though I did order some recently so they are on the way. Purple fits into my current color palette pretty nicely.

Here is a necklace I made with some of the beads from this box. It is a simple cubic right-angle weave but I put a piece of brass wire through the middle to give it the curved shape, just to be different.

Verdict: I did not calculate a value for the December 2018 Dollar Bead Box, for reasons explained above. There were 18 items (if I counted right) so if you divide the cost of the box by the number of items, it is about $1.08 per item. The information sheet asked for feedback on this box, which was something of a special edition, and I really thought the value was excellent. Most of these strands would sell for well over $1 if purchased individually (I may or may not have been doing a lot of bead shopping lately).

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 $1.08 per item.

Check out all of our Dollar Bead Box reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory! 

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What did you think of the December 2018 Dollar Bead Box? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?