Where to Wednesday: A Better Place to Bead
Continuing on my quest to find gifts that the kids can create, I decided to give beading a try. When I was young I remember having a tackle tray with beads in different compartments. I think I more collected them rather than actually used them for something artistic, much like all those sticker books, chicken rings, and collecters cards I coveted. Even as an adult, its hard not to get intoxicated by bowls full of stunning colors. So holding my breath and my 5-year-old and 2-year-old boys in each hand, I walked into a bead shop in Davis, Ca. called A Better Place to Bead.
How it works: Several large tables are full of bowls of beads, roughly divided by color. Each bowl is labeled with the price of the bead it contains. When you walk into the store there is a muffin tin that you can use as your shopping cart. The cups of the tin are also labeled by price: .05, .10, .15, etc. You can select beads from the table and put them into your tin cup of the corresponding price. Using a sheet that resembles a scorecard, you then track the price of each bead as you string it. At the counter the staff will assist you with the amount of material you want to string the beads with, and with tips and tricks to get you the effect you are looking for.
How it went: Collecting the beads was a bit tricky as the tables were just a little too high for the kids to see over. I had to lift and carry one child in one arm so he could pick out some beads, hold the muffin tin with the other, leaving the other child to freely dip his fingers into what bowls he could reach despite being told there was a “muffin tin system” to keeping the beads straight. Once at the table with our beads it was equally impossible to keep track of the price of the beads as they were being grabbed out of the muffin tin by both boys. That being said, each of the kids LOVED the whole idea of picking out their favorite beads, stringing them together, and creating something unique and beautiful. The oldest one needed (and wanted) no assistance from me from start to finish. The youngest one and I worked together, but as you can see he really worked hard at putting his string through the bead holes. The staff was incredibly helpful (and patient) as I tried to relocate each bead (and corresponding price) on the finished products to come up with the final cost. Tables are equipped with tools that one might need (probably for more advanced projects than ours) including foam to put your beads on so they don’t roll away.
What I’d do differently: This is definately a trip I would recommend, even for young kids. For us, I think if I had picked out a selection of beads that were all the same price and then let the kids pick and choose from the tin at the table, there would have been far less worry about trying to keep track of who was using which bead from which tin cup. All I would have to do is count the number of beads used and could easily come up with the price of the finished product. Another mom with two girls joined us, and for them keeping beads separated did not seem to be an issue.
Even for my young and fidgety kids, this was a trip that kept their interest and creative juices going for a good solid hour. Obviously if your kids are likely to put things into their mouth you need to be very cautious. At this store there was a great selection of beads that can fit even a tight budget. So if you are still looking for gifts that can come from your kids, consider finding a local bead store. If none exists, you can even create gifts in your own home using materials available at craft stores or from bead kits at toy stores. I was lucky to find A Better Place to Bead; it gave the kids a rainy day activity and gave me a check on my Christmas gift list.
In Haley’s preschool, they work with beads and make all kinds of neat projects. She LOVES the days that involve the beads, so much that for Hanukkah, I got her a set of her own for home. Big hit. Trevor still seems too little, since a lot of the beads are very tiny.
If we ever get back to Sac/Davis, we will absolutely go to this place. What a great find. And your tips are very helpful.
I love that place! The great thing about your blog is that its a trip down memory lane for me!I miss Davis…
Very nice post I love your blog keep up the amazing articles