Bargain Bead Box Subscription Review – May 2019

Bargain Bead Box is a monthly DIY 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: $17.95

The Products: Designer quality beads in materials ranging from crystal to glass to 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 May 2019 “Dragonfly Garden” Review

Bargain Bead box always includes a few clasps and other findings in matching metal tones; this month they were in an antique silver 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 (“Dragonfly Garden”). The back contained a list of the month’s beads.

15” Strand 8mm Crackled Agate Round Beads

You’ll usually receive a strand or two of semiprecious gemstone beads. If I had to guess, I’d say these were dyed or color-treated in some way, but none of the color rubbed off inside the baggie so it’s probably relatively stable. I think I’d like to make these into a bracelet at some point with just some thin silver spacers in between some of them.

30 Pieces 6mm Leaf Bead Cap

You’ll usually get bead caps in this subscription, as well. What’s nice is that all the charms, findings, chain, etc., have matching metal tones (this month, an antiqued silver finish) so you can use them all together. Anyway, I didn’t use bead caps this month, but since starting Bargain Bead Box, I definitely incorporate them into my work more often than I used to. I think I’d like to use these with something that’s a solid color (maybe a really dark gemstone like onyx?).

1m 3.4mm Steel Curb Chain

Another thing you’ll receive most months is a length of chain. It is pretty much always steel chain, so you’ll want to use some heavy-duty wire cutters with it (or memory wire cutters) because it will mar your regular jewelry wire cutters (which are meant for non-ferrous metals like copper, brass, silver, etc.). Anyway, even when I don’t use the chain from this subscription, I put it in my stash because then when I am looking for chain for a future project, I have a lot to choose from.

6 Pieces 19 x 21mm Dragonfly Charms

I used five of these in a necklace (look for them at the bottom). I wanted a part that dangled and these were good for the end. But they are small enough for use in a bracelet or earrings if you’d rather go that way.

17 x 24mm Sculpted Flower and Leaf Toggle Clasp

You’ll get a clasp every month (usually more than one, usually toggles). I used this in my necklace this month and once again, I decided to put the clasp in the front.

10 Pieces Electroplated Quartz Point Beads (size varies)

I have a growing collection of drilled crystal points and I need to start looking for ideas on how to use them. I’m not normally too boho in my style but a lot of the crystal jewelry I see strikes me as boho. If I come up with something I think is nice, I suppose I could always make a gift for someone else! Or else I could practice wire wrapping.

6 Pieces 10mm Chinese Crystal Fancy Bicone Beads, Indigo Iris

You’ll receive a ton of Chinese crystal in this subscription. It’s an affordable way to add a bit of sparkle (I know as I may, ahem, have bought waaaaay too much Swarvoski crystal lately so I am familiar with the price point there…). I did use some of it this month, but I went with the smaller pieces because I wanted some parallel strands and I felt the beads needed to be smaller. These larger ones will be good if I want to do some graduated right-angle weave, though.

40 x 45mm Dragonfly Pendant

Most months there will be a larger pendant in this subscription. Sometimes I use them in the pieces I make for these reviews and sometimes I hang on to them for later. The design I had in mind this month didn’t work with a large pendant. But I think whatever I do with this one, I need to wire some seed beads or crystals into it to make the wings colorful.

8 Pieces 14mm Electroplated Chinese Crystal Round Beads, Rainbow Iris

Here are some even larger Chinese crystals. I do love the backlit look of them. I feel like these might be just the trick to make a seed bead bracelet a bit fancier.

6 Pieces 15 x 12mm Pressed Glass Petal Beads, Clear AB

These have the look of pressed Czech glass (I think)? I like all the colors that reflect off them (the orange/red maybe because the walls of the room I was taking photos in are dark red). I will probably make some kind of flower pendant out of these at some point in the future, it just seems like something it may take a bit of time to do right.

7 Pieces 15 x 13mm Scrolled Flower Links

I used a couple of these as connectors. I feel like we may have received them in a different color in a past box, or else something similar, because I can also see using them to make a netted design and I really think I’ve done that before with Bargain Bead Box (but I’ve been subscribing for years). Anyway, I still have a few left if I want to make something else with them.

16” Strand 6 x 4mm Chinese Crystal Rondelle Beads, Rainbow Iris

Now here is the first Chinese crystal I used in my necklace. I wanted smaller pieces this month, and I needed quite a lot of them (30 or so) so these were great for my purposes. I do still have a few left over as well.

28” Strand Electroplated Round Glass Beads, Blue Iris

I used quite a lot of these, this month. (I think they are about 6mm?). I needed something that didn’t command a ton of attention to go around the back of my necklace and these worked. I knotted silk between them although, truth be told, I should’ve used a wider silk thread as the holes in these beads are almost too big for my knots (but I didn’t have anything wider, so I worked with what was available).

15” Strand Chinese Crystal 4mm Bicone Beads, Blue Iris

Here is the second Chinese crystal I used in my necklace. These were also small and I also needed about 30 of them. I am growing a huge collection of 4mm bicones from Bargain Bead Box. If you have a pattern that calls for crystal bicones, these work nicely, and they’re also good for right angle weave.

20mm “Fly” Rectangle Pendant

This is a slightly smaller pendant. It could work in a bracelet (like a yoga/mala style bracelet with one charm, of which I have a ton from when I got the Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box), for example with the agate rounds from earlier. Or it would be good in a minimalist-style necklace.

10g 4 x 14mm Wing Beads

You could make dragonflies out of these on headpins with seed bead tails and crystal or firepolished heads, but I just used them as metal spacers/accents in my necklace; I think they also worked that way.

Here is an asymmetrical necklace I made with a number of beads from this month’s shipment.

Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Bargain Bead Box, as explained above. The information sheet gives a retail value of about $55 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 a little over $1 per item since the price is $17.95 and there were 16 items this month. And THAT is a pretty good deal.

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 June 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 $17.95 for this subscription, you are paying about $1.12 per item.

Check out my past reviews of Bargain Bead Box or see more of our arts and crafts 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 Bargain Bead Box? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?