Updated 8/17/20 to accurately reflect the month of the project. Darn Good Beads' customer service informed us of shipping delays which will be addressed in next month's review.
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 May 2020 Review
I’ve been receiving Darn Good Beads of the Month for quite awhile now. 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:
Fairytale Mala Beaded Necklace
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Every project comes with a full-color information sheet including a materials list, instructions, and a list of any items you might need that were not provided (usually simple things like scissors).
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I wanted to mention something here about this subscription that is kind of relevant to this month's project. You may have noticed that I haven't reviewed this for a few months, and it's because I didn't receive a package for a few months. Due to the pandemic, as you might imagine, a lot of international shipments slowed or stopped. Darn Good Beads gets a lot of supplies from India and when we asked them, they said India was letting small packages out but not large shipments. The reason this is relevant is Jaipur, India, is a major center for stone-cutting (there may be others, but this is the one I know of), and as you can see from the materials provided, there are absolutely a ton of gemstones in this shipment. This is probably the most gemstones I've ever seen in this box, to be honest. But as you might imagine, for a project that relies on so many stones, delayed shipments from India can be a problem.
Moving on, there are a couple of pieces of advice I'd give if you haven't started this project yet. First off, the instructions just say to tie knots between the beads. But this is not a trivial matter. I don't know if you've ever tried, but getting the knots positioned correctly so your finished product looks professional is difficult. You'll end up with some knots a good quarter inch or more away from where you want them. I've collected a couple of links with ideas on how to get the knots where you want them (many refer to pearls but the principle is similar), which you can find here and here. (The second link requires your choice of several tools.)
The other thing is, you may need different thread and/or a twisted wire needle instead of the "tool" provided, which seems to be a piece of bead-stringing wire with a bend in it. The reason is that the holes drilled in the beads are not a uniform size. So, for the "A" beads (the first couple of dark turquoise ones), the holes are big and the beads may slip over your knots. But for the green beads, the holes are very small and you'll have a different time getting the tool and thread through at the same tine. I'd also strongly suggest glue for where you tie the thread to the tassel, because it doesn't hold knots well on its own but I'm not sure what it is so I don't want to try to melt it if it's a natural fiber...
Anyway, because I was having trouble with the knotting, I just strung the beads:
As you can see it doesn't look very good where I tied off the second end of the strand, mostly because it kept coming loose (my superglue was nowhere to be found). I am probably going to take this apart and try again with different thread (maybe to see if I can get better results, because I do like the project and think the colors are fun, and none of my many, many other malas (hey, I used to subscribe to the Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box) look like this. I think something along these lines should work, and these threads come with a "built in" needle. I can't recommend a width/thread weight at the moment because I have lost track of my box of silk beading thread but probably like 6 or 8 would be a good place to start.
As an aside, if you are interested in other mala kits, this website has them sometimes, although they don't have any that require knotting at the moment.
Verdict: I did not calculate a value for Darn Good Beads of the Month because the materials were unbranded/not labeled. I do like the project and the colors, and it was nice seeing so many gemstones this month, and like I said earlier, I will probably re-make this to include knots between the beads, I just need a bit of practice first. A lot of projects you find in this box are on the casual side, and don't require many tools, so if you have a teenager who may be interested in making jewelry, a set of pliers, some scissors, and a bit of superglue, along with this subscription, would be a pretty good gift since you are learning new techniques every month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you’ll most likely receive the August 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 May 2020 Darn Good Beads of the Month? Do you subscribe to any beading or craft boxes?
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