Dollar Bead Bag is a smaller box from Dollar Bead Box and delivers Czech fire polished beads every month. During a given month, reorder your favorite items from Dollar Bead Bag shop for just $1. (This deal is only available to subscribers.)
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 Dollar Bead Bag
The Subscription Box: Dollar Bead Bag
The Cost: $8 for the Dollar Bead Bag; free shipping with 3- and 6-month subscriptions (plus get an additional discount on 6-month subscriptions)
The Products: 4 strands of 3 mm Czech Fire Polished beads and 4 strands of 4 mm Czech Fire Polished Beads
Ships to: US
Dollar Bead Bag May 2019 Review
This is a subscription where you know what to expect every month, only the actual colors of the beads are unknown. The information card lists the color names for reordering purposes:
The bag included a list of items.
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!
3 mm Czech Firepolished Beads in (from top to bottom): Matte Topaz, Crystal Half Copper, Matte Light Peridot, and Winter Blue
I actually ended up using the 4mm beads this month, but these will all go great with other items in my stash. I enjoy getting a variety of finishes and here we see standard (shiny), matte, and a half-coated type so there is a little something for everyone. If you are ever looking for something to do with 3mm firepolished beads, Deb Roberti’s patterns make use of a lot of them (or substitute 3mm firepolished rounds for glass pearls or crystal bicones in the same size), or right-angle weave is also always a good choice.
4 mm Czech Firepolished Beads in (from top to bottom): True Purple, Jonquil, Matte Emerald Green, and Cobalt Blue
This month I used the jewel-toned beads (i.e., true purple, matte emerald, and cobalt) with some findings I bought on Etsy to make a necklace. I’m particularly excited about the true purple – there’s really not a lot of actual purple glass out there (and unfortunately purple is the hardest color to photograph and it doesn’t show up as well as I’d like it to here). These are also useful in patterns.
I bought these findings (see picture 3) from Eclectica Beads on Etsy. It was really easy to make a tube using some of the 4mm beads, though I’d probably opt to cover the thread on the ends with seed beads or something in the future. This is just a tube that slides back and forth over the chain.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for the May 2019 Dollar Bead Bag, for reasons explained above. This is one of those subscriptions where you know in advance what you are going to get each month (only the color is a surprise). It works out to $1 per strand, and I think that is reasonable. These strands are a little shorter than what you’d get at Fire Mountain Gems, for example, but the prices are also lower. This is a good subscription if you are looking to build your stash or you like to make things from beading patterns.
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 a color that appeals to you, if you become a Dollar Bead Bag member, you can order items from the past two Dollar Bead Bags from the Dollar Bead Box shop for $1 each (plus shipping).
Value Breakdown: At $8 for this subscription, you are paying $1 per strand.
See our past reviews of Dollar Bead Bag here or visit the Craft Subscription Box List and best arts & crafts subscription boxes 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 May 2019 Dollar Bead Bag? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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