Bead varieties at the store range from semiprecious stones to colorful plastic and glass beads.[/caption]David Vera opened Beads One in 2011 because his wife, Keren, loves to make beaded jewelry. The business has grown to attract crafters who want to learn a new skill.
Beads One stocks a variety of beads and accessories to help jewelry-makers create gifts and keepsakes and also offers classes for beginners, including older children.
“We want you to make something beautiful,” Vera said.
Strings of beads in a variety of colors and materials line the shop walls, including glass, plastic and wooden beads; metal charms; cords; chains and all of the fasteners needed to assemble them.
“There are endless combinations and endless quality,” Vera said.
He said he aims to stock items affordable to a newcomer’s budget.
The shop is beginner-friendly in its approach, offering examples throughout the store to spark ideas for newcomers, Vera said.
To encourage new crafters to develop skills and ideas, the store offers a free one-hour beading class and access to jewelry-making tools with the purchase of at least $20 worth of beads.
Classes at the shop are available on Saturdays and are taught by Mary Vargas, a former employee who was inspired to learn the craft of making jewelry while working at the store.
Examples of necklaces and other jewelry that crafters can make are on display in the store.[/caption]“It is a stress reliever for me,” Vargas said.
The classes are open to customers age 11 and older and are geared toward beginners, she said. Other than the beads, the only material needed is elastic cord and glue to hold the knot.
Advanced students work with chains and can learn wire-wrapping, which involves using pliers to twist and wrap metal wire into decorative shapes around a stone.
Birthdays and religious holidays are always popular occasions for handmade jewelry, but Mother’s Day is the biggest holiday of the year in the store, Vera said.
Beads One employee Priscilla Sosa prepares bags of jewelry-making supplies.[/caption]The shop has worked with Girl Scouts seeking to earn a beading patch and has visited schools to create jewelry-making stations for art enrichment exercises before Mother’s Day this year.
Renae Szczesnaik, an employee of the shop since October, said she joined the staff without knowing a lot about beading but has learned a great deal working in the store through the holiday and rodeo seasons.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held in March, attracts both crafters looking to sell their wares and people who just want to make something special to wear to the event, Vera said.
Western themes and colors—blue, silver, and brown and leather looks—are popular in the region, Vera said. The store also sells a large selection of shimmering beads.
“People like bling,” Vera said.
Beads One also does a brisk mail-
order business online, with glass pearl beads topping the list in popularity.
“We try to bring in new things,” Vera said. “If you come back in a couple of months, you will see new items.”
