Advice for nice but inexpensive beads

Shops like B&M and Home Bargains often have these kits in the toy section and not at all expensive. There is also Hobbycraft, but find them more expensive.

Thank you.
I've looked in The Range and The Works. Also online.

There's a lot of "pony beads" (pkastic).

This one looks rather pretty - and not too expensive for something a little different. However if she's anything like my GD was at 8, she preferred quantity over quality and preferred the plastic sparkly stuff. She could make 10 bracelets an hour when she was in the mood!
www.lightinthebox.com/p/charm-bracelet-making-kit-girls-diy-beaded-jewelry-making-kit-unicorn-mermaid-gifts-toys-crafts-for-girls-birthday-gift-festival-new-year-with-pink_p9678412.html?currency=GBP&sku=276_28117&country_code=GB&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21799810703&adword_mt=&adword_ct=&adword_kw=&adword_pos=&adword_pl=&adword_net=x&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=3516490533_21799810703__&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu8W6BhC-ARIsACEQoDBMYZ7U1pA_IYDk3CggAFOW_0QR4IlnVN6aufaUpkJxsAF3BEXZZNYaAiUvEALw_wcB

Sorry for the long link...

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/314629963

I would go round the charity shops and see if there are any necklaces you can take apart.
also google bead shops.. there is one where I live where you can choose fittings, threads and beads...

Range has lots of stuff also.

Children tend to like tacky, they prefer the bright and sparkly kind. They also like to make jewellery to give to friends so cheaper from the Works may suit better.

Mmmn. You are probably all correct.

I hate to buy tacky though!
However - it's not my birthday!

GD enjoyed making beaded things with people’s names from alphabet beads - from The Works I think. The holes are big enough to thread elastic through without a needle.

Etsy do some lovely beads, you could make up your own kit with those and some findings if you can't bear to give plastic. But I agree with others, loads of small plastic beads is probably what she is after! 😀

Ha ha!

My other daughter says that grandchild likes dangly "charms!"

I will look out for those too!

Etsy have some lovely kits that aren't tacky .

Charity shop jewellery can be brilliant for using to make necklaces etc. Sometimes you can even reuse what they're strung on. It can be worth asking the staff if they ever have broken jewellery too. They may sell such items very cheaply.

pascal30

I would go round the charity shops and see if there are any necklaces you can take apart.
also google bead shops.. there is one where I live where you can choose fittings, threads and beads...

There’s one near here called Peppy Beads, which also sells online.

I was in TK Maxx this afternoon, and they do jars of beads, including some with letters on, which looked to be ceramic. They were £5.99 per jar, and would make a nice present. They may have them online too.

Has anyone used "Light in the Box"?
Are they like Temu do you think?

I used to buy beads from The Brighton Bead shop but I’ve just googled it and it’s closed down . I wonder if there are other specialist bead shops in other parts of the country?

MayBee70

I used to buy beads from The Brighton Bead shop but I’ve just googled it and it’s closed down . I wonder if there are other specialist bead shops in other parts of the country?

I used to often potter into that shop and make earrings - still got some of them.

Sometimes you can find job lots of second hand beads on eBay

Whitewavemark2

MayBee70

I used to buy beads from The Brighton Bead shop but I’ve just googled it and it’s closed down . I wonder if there are other specialist bead shops in other parts of the country?

I used to often potter into that shop and make earrings - still got some of them.

We took the kids to Brighton one year instead of having our usual holiday in Cornwall. I thought that, getting older, they might want to do something a bit different. Our favourite band, The Levellers came from Brighton and we were into all things crusty, including beads. Give me beads any day over diamonds and stuff.Unfortunately they hated it. They went to he Pavilion one afternoon and I was so upset that I just wandered round The Lanes crying, only to meet up with them afterwards to cry’s of ‘ mum, it was great, you should have come with us’. We went to Bognor the following day which was the day before a bomb went off.

www.johnlewis.com/cotton-twist-unicorn-beaded-bracelet-making-kit/p112198091

www.johnlewis.com/melissa-doug-bead-bouquet-set/p1523588

These from John Lewis are rather nice.

If you have an antique centre near you have a look there. I buy bead necklaces there very cheap.
Or ask on Freecycle. I often ask for something on that site and have been given lots of nice things such as dining chairs, pond plants, some small conifers and a knife block with excellent sharp knives. People can be very generous especially if you explain what it’s for.

LOTS of good idea.
Thank you