What You'll Get
Without jewelry, pearls would be nothing but oyster gallstones, and treasure chests would contain nothing but dirty back issues of The Economist. Embrace the power of bling with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $60 worth of jewelry-making classes and supplies at Brooklyn Bead Box.
Brooklyn Bead Box offers jewelry-making classes and supplies for aspiring beadists of all levels. In the 90-minute beginner's crimping class ($35), students create a secure and stylish crimped necklace or bracelet and learn how to attach clasps to strung beads, all while chanting in sync with a shaman, a gorilla, and two musicians. Construct your own lobe candy in the 90-minute beginner's earrings class ($35), which demonstrates the fashionable yet deadly "hangman's noose," a basic staple of jewelry design. More-ambitious bead-weavers can string their way up to a two-hour intermediate square stitching course ($40), in which they can create their own tightly stitched "beaded ladders" while learning how to add thread to a clasp. All classes include basic supplies such as clasps and wires, but students must bring in beads they have liberated from the jewelry box of a curmudgeonly aunt or purchase some from Brooklyn Bead Box's overflowing stock. Classes are conveniently offered every day at 5 p.m. and also at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
After enlisting in a bead boot camp, customers can apply their remaining Groupon balance toward any and everything they need for future beading projects. Brooklyn Bead Box stocks glass and semiprecious beads sold by the strand or individually, as well as 18-karat gold and sterling-silver findings. Brooklyn Bead Box also offers delicate Swarovski crystals, a swan's other best friend, and instruction books for cooking up new jewelry creations and fresh batches of bead stew.
You must be at least 16 years old to attend a class.
Reviews
Citysearchers give Brooklyn Bead Box an average of 3.5 stars, and six InsiderPagers give it a three-star average:
- love the Bead Box! The selection of beads is amazing--they really have stuff I don't think you're going to find anywhere else. And, even better, there's a big work table well-stocked with tools, and the staff is very helpful. – MaryAnneSande, Citysearch
- Even if you have never done any beading before or haven't done it since your 7th birthday, this lovely little shop will make you want to give it a whirl. The selection of beads is endless and they provide a work area for you to get right to it. – Lauren H., InsiderPages
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Oct 20, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 2 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. Reservation required 1 week in advance for classes; must be 16 or older. 48-hour cancellation policy or Groupon is forfeited. Must use in 1 visit. Not valid with other offers. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Brooklyn Bead Box
Brooklyn Bead Box arms crafters with beads and findings that run the gamut from simplicity to statement pieces, with prices starting at pennies to accommodate diverse project budgets. Semiprecious stones, unlike boulders covered in glitter, make for classic jewelry shining next to Swarovski crystals on strands and hanging solo. Clasps and beading tools finish jewelry makers' handiwork, and instruction books and large-holed beads give beginners a foothold in the art.
Beaders can also mingle with peers in one of Brooklyn Bead Box's 13 classes, each capped at four students to allow instructors to individualize attention and curb the antics of class clowns. The curricula cover topics ranging from introductory techniques to the more complex arts of crafting wire cuff bracelets or beading hoop earrings. For further beading camaraderie, up to 12 kids can celebrate a birthday at the shop while hand making their own accessories.