A Better Place to Bead

The new storefront around the corner from the old one. The old storefront that is now residence to Megan Wilkinson Photography.

Location

132 E St. in Suite 150 in Mansion Square, lower level

Hours

Monday - Saturday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

The tables close at 5:30PM. Sunday from 12:00 PM to 5:00. PM (just for the Holiday season)

Phone

(530) 759-8038

Web site

http://www.abetterplacetobead.com

A Better Place to Bead is a pleasant bead shop with a very helpful staff. Since it opened approximately 15 years ago, it has had three different sets of owners. The employees are very nice, and willing to show patrons easy methods and techniques to create personalized jewelry.

The store has 2 tables with all the necessary tools to make your jewelry on site. They have a wide assortment of single beads, or you can buy them temporarily-strung. Fresh water pearls start at $2.99 for a 16 in. strand, and they have mother of pearl strands for less than $2. There is a hefty selection of strands of semi-precious gemstones, as well as a large variety of glass beads and lamp work glass beads. very inexpensive and very cute. The shop also sells ready to wear necklaces, bracelets, earrings and has a good selection of sterling silver earrings and rings at very good prices. Plus you can find all of the accessories needed to make keychains, earrings and a large variety of other crafts. It's a great place to make hand-made gifts or design your own jewelry. They give customers a discount card which is good for $5 in free merchandise when purchases reach $50.

Classes are offered Tuesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. for those who wish to learn basic techniques, or how to make specific types of jewelry. Classes cost $10 per person (non-refundable unless the class is canceled), and it's recommended that one sign up in advance, as sessions tend to fill up quickly. The basic beading class, and the wire wrapping class include some supplies.

A Better Place To Bead hosts birthday parties. It's $40 to reserve the table and one associate will help you for an hour and a half. With a $20.00 deposit in advance you can schedule your party at anytime from Monday to Friday, or Saturdays from 11:00am to 12:30pm. The birthday party package deal includes two packets of size 6's or 8's E beads, memory wire for a necklace, matching elastic bracelet, and one charm off the store's extensive charm board.

Don't leave the store without checking out their 30% off weekly specials and bargain corner.

Comments:

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The classes are a lot of fun and free except for the cost of materials! —GreenThing

The staff are very helpful and if you don't know how to finish your bracelet/necklace, they will help you add the clasp. This is great for inept people like me! —CalamityJanie

2008-02-28 10:58:02   Great products, great customer service! The staff is very friendly and will help you if you have any questions about techniques. —MWilson

2009-04-16 16:23:06   The beads here are incredibly overpriced if you're looking for elastic string or pony beads. I'd recommend Wal-Mart before this place, unless you want to pay about ten times (literally) what you would otherwise. —CCorinne

2009-04-16 17:11:58   I have not been there in quite some time, but I think the point of going to a place like this is largely that you pay only for the beads you use and therefore have to get much less. Besides that they have to keep someone there all day which means they have to make at the bare minimum enough to pay that person's salary. It's unfair to say that the beads are more expensive here than at Wal-Mart in the same way as it is to say not to shop at grocery stores because meat, etc. is cheaper at Costco. —MasonMurray

2009-04-22 15:42:57   If you'd read my post, Mason, you'd see that I wasn't commenting on their single beads, but on the ones they sold IN BULK, along with their bulk string.

So yes, I'm saying that if you want to buy a larger quantity of cheap beads, go to a different store. I think this information is just as important as your appreciation for the store. —CCorinne

2009-05-25 11:58:38   My biggest problem with this place is that if you forget your discount card (which gives you $10 off after spending $50) they refuse to give you another one, so you can combine them (most other store I have been to will do this for you). When I asked them if I could just have them put my purchase on a new one (I had just spent over $20) they said "No we want to save paper". How rude! It's one little tiny square, don't say that if you just are trying to save money. It left me peeved. Other than that, the selection of beads is nice, and it's very helpful how you can buy them individually. —KristenM

2009-08-03 18:34:42   Sorry Corrine, but Mason has a point. If you don't mind that a place like WalMart keeps its prices low by treating its people like ,then buy your inexpensive beads there. However, you are right about ABPB's bulk prices. I suggest that you try Michaels instead and keep a little more of your soul. They have a nice selection of standard findings too. —jlheelan

2009-09-11 20:27:55   Staff is incredibly helpful and the classes they offer are really great. —arynkoo

2009-09-24 20:39:21   There's no point in removing comments here, as it'll just get reverted. But I think it is incredibly lame — and everyone pretty much knows it — when somebody makes a comparison between any locally-owned small business and a big-box retailer. If you like big stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc., then by all means shop there. If price is all that matters to you, drive far, far away to buy your little beads. But it is pretty pointless to make those kind of comparisons without also discussing the service, quality, selection, and the hard work that goes into running a small retail business. This is a great store. I always enjoyed browsing through it with my kids when they were younger, and I continue to hear excellent things about their selection and service. —DonShor

2010-02-01 18:08:33   Comparing the beads and the beading experience at WalMart with the beads at BPB is like comparing apples and oranges...sure WalMart sells beads, as does BPB, but there the comparison ends. BPB carries a wide selection of very high quality beads and findings and the owners and their staff are always helpful. Any jewelry that is made will reflect the type of beads that are used...cheap beads, cheap jewelry; quality beads, quality jewelry! —dpaige

2010-02-01 18:19:43   I don't think shopping at Wal-Mart for beads is a good idea. The quality really isn't there. With beading the vast majority of the value comes from your work, not from bead value. Sinking hours into a project only to have it look like crap when you're done because you bought your supplies at Wallyworld is really shortsighted.

If you're into bead stores, this is a great place to go. Compared to other small bead stores like this, the prices are very comparable. The classes are a real bargain (in that they're free) and the staff is helpful and friendly. —rfrazier

2010-12-26 23:39:14   I looked on their website and it says the classes are now 10$, not including supplies. I'm not sure if this was just for November or if this is a new fee for every class. —jenb

2011-07-02 16:37:51   It's gone! D: I walked down to it now and it's no longer there! It's a photography studio. Does anyone know if it moved? Or did it go out of business?! I am very sad that it's no longer there. I really hope it just relocated. —BMarsh

• They moved around the corner from where they used to be (see the picture at the top of this page). —JenniferCook
  

2011-07-16 18:23:30   Wonderful place for a personal gift! The two days I've spent in there I haven't seen any other man, eh? You should get down there and make something special for your loved one :D —MichaelNielsen