Darn Good Beads of the Month is a monthly subscription for jewelry makers from Darn Good Yarn. (You don’t have to be able to knit or crochet for this subscription!) Every month you’ll receive materials to complete a quick beading project. You will need some basic tools of your own (pliers, crimping pliers, glue) but they provide all the findings, beads, and stringing materials!
In addition to their Bead of the Month Club, Darn Good Yarn also offers a Yarn of the Month Club, Fabric of the Month Club, and Sock of the Month Club.
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 Darn Good Beads of the Month
The Subscription Box: Darn Good Beads of the Month
The Cost: $20/month plus shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 15% off your first order when you sign up for the newsletter. No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: Materials and instructions to complete one beading/jewelry making project.
Ships to: The continental US for $4; Hawaii, Alaska, US territories, and international for $13
Darn Good Beads of the Month January 2020 Review
I’ve been receiving Darn Good Beads of the Month for a few months. I expect to get a simple project with instructions that will be easy to complete in under an hour or two, but the projects have been pretty varied:
The project came in a small box and included a detailed information booklet with project instructions.
1 of 3
Raindrop Beaded Necklace
1 of 11
Mostly I followed the directions for this one. It involved a lot of stringing. There is one part where I rebelled and did my own thing, right around where you see the spool of wire in the progress photos. The directions had you cutting a piece of beading wire and putting two crimps on each side, with the hematite-looking round bead in between. I did not think crimps would look great, especially the way I manage to squeeze them, so I opted to make some wrapped loops and hold the necklace together that way. But enough materials were provided to do this according to the directions if you are so inclined.
Then there was more stringing. I do want to talk about something that's been bothering me lately with respect to most jewelry subscription boxes, which is accuracy in materials description. The gemstone beads here are not turquoise, but the materials list calls them turquoise. They are dyed magnesite or howlite, two common and inexpensive materials that are used to stand in for turquoise, which is rare and not super stable. Also, the "gold" beads are not gold, they are plated with some type of yellow metal, but solid gold is out of this box's price range.
The seed beads are somewhat irregular in size but that kind of gives them some charm and a more organic look and I like that. Be careful wearing this necklace against a light colored shirt, as this is what my fingers looked like after making the necklace:
Anyway, here is the final result:
I think this would actually hang narrower if a person was wearing it, but it was so long if you added the listed number of seed beads in back, I had to clip part of the back in place so you could even see the whole front part.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Darn Good Beads of the Month because the materials were unbranded/not labeled and items like this generally can't be purchased in such small quantities. This project was a fairly representative project for this subscription in terms of the types of materials you would typically use in a project from Darn Good Beads and of the skill level required. You will need pliers, wire cutters, and crimping pliers are also useful. You generally won't need more than that for this subscription, and most of those items can be found in sets on Amazon. (Occasionally a little superglue would be helpful, too, although it wasn't necessary here.)
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you’ll receive the March box. More from Darn Good Beads:
If you place your order by the 1st, then your box will ship on the 20th (or the next business day during weekends). If you place your order after the 1st, then your box will ship the next month.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 15% off your first order when you sign up for the newsletter. No coupon needed - just use this link.
Check out my past reviews of Darn Good Beads of the Month and see the Craft Subscription Box List 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 January 2020 Darn Good Beads of the Month? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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