I always had a dream of making my own jewelry, not only for myself but also to give as gifts.
I tried a few years back, but I don’t think I was very good at it. My chubby little fingers combined with suffering from Carpal Tunnel in both wrists didn’t help.
I work with children and they LOVE to make jewelry. I make sure to supply them with a variety of beads in different sizes, shapes, colors and styles. Both girls and boys love to create jewelry.
Some beads I will not get for them because they are so hard to use. One is the clay beads. Those are those flat, donut looking beads. The other type is seed beads (they are so itty bitty!). I tend to stick with ones that are easy to work with. It’s not that the kids can’t use those types of beads, it’s just that it’s not easy and it’s time consuming. Most kids don’t have the patience to string a bunch of clay beds together to make a bracelet. When they lose interest or patience I end up having to clean up their mess.
Caydo, the brand that brings you fun crafting devices, such as the Electric iCord Knitting Machine, has an electric (or battery operated, your choice) bead spinner that helps to string beads together to make bracelets, necklaces and more.
Caydo was kind enough to send me one their Clay Bead Spinner Kit to try out for myself. They sent me their bead spinner kit which came with a nice assortment of clay beads and other accessories.
I was especially impressed by the bead assortments, not only the colors, but also styles. They even included shells!
The Clay Bead Spinner can plug in (you’ll need a cube), or you can use 3 AA batteries. I thought I had some, but it turns out I only had AAA, so I had to plug it in.
It needs to be assembled, but it’s only putting the “bowl” on top of the base.
To use, simply plug it in (or use the batteries) and fill the bowl abut 1/3 full with your beds of choice. For my photos I was going for a beach them with blues and greens.
Next, thread your string into the loop on the included needle-like piece. It’s called the “Big Eye Bead Needle.” You can see it in the photo below.
There is a power switch on the side of the base (on/off), as well as another switch (dial) that controls the speed. I recommend using the lowest speed until you get used to how it works.
I have used the low speed each time I have used this.
Using the curved end of the needle (not the end with the loop), put it into the bowl and turn the device on. As the device turns, beads should make their way on to the needle.
I did it that way, and it did work, but I am not sure if I am doing it correctly. I feel like I’m missing a step, but regardless, I was able to get the flat clay beads on to the elastic string, something I would have never even attempted if it wasn’t for this bead spinner. My fingers simply cannot work with those beads (thank goodness they also sent me a tweezer to grab them).
Here is a brief video of me using the bead spinner. Please note it’s hard to do both (film and use the machine) at the same time.
You can see how the beads magically find their way to the needle.
I’m not sure if I am doing it correctly, but as long as it’s getting the beads on to the string, I’m happy.
The version I have seems to be an older one. From what I can tell, Caydo has a really nice updated version available. You can check that version out HERE.
I was going to use this with my “work kids,” however, I’m concerned about them using the needle. The loop part is very fragile, and I worry that they will break it as they move the beads from the needle to the string. Either me or one of my co-workers will have to be responsible for that part of the beading, or I simply will only use it at home for stuff I make and/or let my adult daughter enjoy using it to make things too.
If you know someone (adult, child, teen) who loves to bead, or wants to get into it, this would be a great gift. The version available on the brand’s website sells for $19.99. It’s an affordable gift idea.
If you would like to check out all that Caydo has to offer, visit the brand at Caydo.com. Be sure to follow them on social media to keep up-to-date on new product releases.
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
