Beading Classes in May

They say April showers bring May flowers...but we like to think May flowers can be worn with pride. Come see the calendar for our May beading classes and sign up for instruction on making a beautiful crystal daisy bracelet.

If you want to make a gorgeous bracelet to give as a gift or keep for yourself, this is the bracelet for you! It's made of crystals and seed beads and has the look of daisies. This would be a good time to experiment with colors and let your imagination fun wild! An excellent class for beginners!

Registration required with a $10.00 deposit refundable at time of class, Class space is limited, so check the calendar to see when you can come see us. SUPPLIES MUST BE PURCHASED AT THE BEAD COTTAGE.

These noodles aren't for eating

So, what do you do with a pair of gold-filled, noodle shaped beads? If you're on The Bead Cottage website, you definitely want to buy some, as they are significantly marked down. This pair normally sells for eleven dollars, but for a limited time you can save $3.50 a pair when you buy online with The Bead Cottage.

These noodle beads are great for creating fancy, curved earrings. Just some posts and the proper jewelry wire and you have instant jewelry for a night on the town! Or, if you are more advanced in your beading, you could try for an elegant bracelet to match those earrings. Come by The Bead Cottage in Virginia Beach for more ideas, but remember that the sale is good through the website only.

Seed your need for beads

Our customers just love these tiny Japanese seed beads. So versatile, and they come in an extended rainbow of colors. Right now you can buy any 6-inch tube of our seed beads for 30% off the regular retail price! Choose from transparent emerald, metallic gold, metallic mint green, clear beads, and a host of other colors.

These beads are great for stringing choker necklaces and tennis bracelets, or, if you're a more involved beader, for creating a brilliant, elegant beaded purse. Don't forget, too, we've discounted our small lobster claw clasps for jewelry making, so you can design and make your summer jewelry at only a fraction of the regular cost!

These Bubbles are neither toil nor trouble...

...but they're on sale for a limited time. Normally listed at $5.50, you can now get our gold-filled fancy bead for only $3 per bead! These beads are great for jewelry projects - whether you wish to make a long strand necklace or bracelet, or even a rosary! We have the tools and supplies you need to make it happen, too.

Pressed Glass Beads now 15% off!

Need pressed glass beads for a jewelry project. The Bead Cottage is proud to offer select beads for 15% off regular price...for a limited time only! Choose from our 5 x 10MM Tear Drop Siam Ruby beads,
beautiful medium Sapphire Angel Wing beads, our exotic 4MM Opaque White/Red Cube beads, the 5 x 3MM Pinch Tanzanite beads, and many more!

Pressed glass beads are formed by pressing hot glass into a selected mold to give the bead a uniform shape. Teardrops, cubes, ovals and pinched discs are common shapes for these beads. They are perfect for creating eye-catching costume necklaces and bracelets, drop earring, and even decorative lampshades and fringed hem clothing.

Smooth as gold

Now you can save ninety cents on each order of our gold-filled smooth bead. This is a very beautiful bead for jewelry projects, the divots make for easy connections. If you are interested in making a tight rope-style necklace or bracelet, this would be a good bead to have.

We'd also like to thank our new and returning customers for your patronage to the online store. Since launching the new and improved TheBeadCottage.com we have received visits from beaders all around the world! It's amazing how well the Internet can bring together bead enthusiasts from different countries; it's certainly something we hadn't expected when we opened our Virginia Beach store a few years ago. We hope you'll continue to shop with online, as we'll always have great specials and discounts, tips for beading, and links to patterns.

Come meet the Bead Lady

The Bead Lady, Pam Hunt, will be available at our store each Wednesday from 1 to 6 to help you with your beading projects or answer your beading questions! Pam is one of our instructors, as well as a past instructor for the city of Norfolk, and has extensive beading experience. If you're stumped by a project or simply need advice about a project, come on by and ask Pam.

If you're not able to come to our Virginia Beach store, don't worry. Contact us by email or leave us a comment and we'll definitely get back to you.

No Easter Bonnet is complete...

...without a set of beaded Easter Bunny earrings. This pattern from About Beadwork provides the groundwork, now you just need the beads.

The Bead Cottages offers a rainbow of size 11 Japanese Delica seed beads for just such a project. Gray and white for bunny fur, pink for that perfect bunny nose, and other pastels for the season. Take advantage now of our volume discounts on select beads, but don't delay. Easter isn't that far away!

No fooling! The Bead Cottage is the place to be...

Have you seen the calendar for April yet? We have a wonderfully busy schedule of beading classes for our friends in Virginia Beach. We'll show you how to make beautiful crystal braid bracelets and crystal V necklaces, and if you're a sworn beginner you can try the simple bead stringing classes. Many of our classes are free, be sure to check the calendar for the current fee schedule.

Don't forget, too, to keep an eye out for our next big Internet store sale on Czech pressed glass beads.

Big sale on Swarovski Crystals

For a limited time only, all 4mm Bicone Swarovski Crystals from The Bead Cottage are REDUCED! Choose from a variety of beautiful colors and save up to 85 cents per pack of 24 beads. With those savings, of course, you can buy more and get a great value for the money.
Add that today and tomorrow are the last days for FREE SHIPPING on all orders and you will save much more!

We've also marked down a number of jewelry-making accessories, including our beautiful dolphin-shaped claw. This is a great piece for nautical themed necklaces and bracelets, or for anybody who loves dolphins and dolphin jewelry.

FREE Shipping in March

This is the time to place your orders with the Bead Cottage. All through the rest of March, shipping is FREE when you order. Whether it's one bead or one thousand, you pay only for your beads and accessories. Get your orders in today to do your beadwork before Easter.

The wearing of the green...beads

We look around the stores now and everything Easter on sale, but we have to ask what about St. Patrick's Day? The notion of planning ahead for holidays is nice if you are busy, but we shouldn't forget to take every opportunity for a holiday beading project. The Bead Shak offers this nice free pattern for a St. Patrick's Day mini banner. And, if you're interested in something more involved, you can browse our selection of green beads. From bugle beads to Czech seed beads, Sworvoski bicone crystal beads, even green cat's eye beads, our selection guarantees a beautiful project for you. Don't be caught not wearing the green on St. Patty's Day, or we'll give you such a pinch!

Valentine's Day Bead Patterns

Holidays are often a busy time at The Bead Cottage, with many of our regular customers creating wonderful gifts. Valentine's Day is no exception, and you can be sure we offer a great number of red, pink, white, and clear glass beads to suit any heart-shaped project.

If you're looking for Valentine specific bead patterns, About: Family Crafts has a number of Valentine pin projects to try, to create a lovely gift for your valentine.

Beadage, fun for any age

We had some time today to take a more detailed look at Beadage.net, and we like what we see there. The tutorials for making wire and hemp jewelry, and special tin cup and floating heart necklaces are simple to follow and very thorough. The galleries of completed earrings, bracelets, and other jewelry are beautiful, and we like especially how bead crafters can submit pictures of their own handiwork. We hope soon to see photos of items made by some of our own regular customers.

Best of all, everything shown on the site, every bead and accessory, can be found on our site for purchase. Beadage.net offers the inspiration, let us offer the supplies.

Suggested sites for bead patterns

If you enjoy beadwork as much as we do, no doubt you're always on the lookout for good, free bead patterns. Thankfully, it's only a Google search away, but for your convenience we have listed here some good links to beadwork sites. You can find patterns for just about any beading project if you know where to look.

About's Library of Bead Patterns: from necklaces to lampshades, anything to enhance your home or wardrobe

Beadage.net: patterns for hemp jewelry, power bracelets, and drop earrings

Free Pattern Site's collection of beading patterns

New website

Hello, bead lovers! The Bead Cottage of Virginia Beach, VA has a new look and a new attitude for 2006. We have recently launched a beautiful new website for selling beads, books, and beading supplies. You can also browse the monthly calendar for information on beading classes held at the store and elsewhere in Virginia Beach.

With thousands of beads of all shapes, colors, and styles available, The Bead Cottage is one of the largest bead sources in the Hampton Roads area. Our weblog will serve to inform you of store events, recent beadwork created by staff and favorite customers, and handy beading tips and patterns to try at home.

We want to be your online stop for beads and beading accessories, whether you live in Hampton Roads or anywhere in the country. Here's to a great year of creative beadwork!