I recently had a 108-bead Tibetan mala and a wrist mala restrung at Beadniks and I'm very happy with how everything turned out. My mala had a specific layout with lapis lazuli marker beads placed at exact positions and Courtney was great about working through that with me. She sent photos of the bead layout before starting which I really appreciated. It gave me a chance to confirm placement and make a small correction before they began. The finished piece is exactly what I was hoping for: Evenly knotted, well-balanced and it feels great in the hand during use. The wrist mala they fixed up for me also came out perfectly. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful and it's clear they take care with custom work. I'd definitely come back for future projects. read more

Beadniks - 108-Bead Tibetan mala & wrist mala. - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went for the charm experience. My friend asked about the charm quality and the worker said "fast fashion quality, similar to things you'd find in Forever21" but charms were marked for minimum $5/piece. I didn't end up getting any charms as it was getting ridiculously expensive for 3 charms that were "Forever 21" quality. I got two of the nicer chains for a bracelet for $35. The $9 does not include anything. I went on Sunday. I wore my bracelet today (Tuesday) and it already broke. And my friends $12 charm is already tarnishing. I would not recommend this experience, it is a rip off. read more

Unpleasant staff . Especially the heavy set older lady with dark hair . She made rude comments to people when they walked in . Judging by the other reviews I guess my opinion isn't singular. Also the jewelry/charms is overpriced junk... read more

We came here for a friend's birthday and had the best time! It's such a fun and creative spot to make your own jewelry -- perfect for a group activity. The process is really straightforward but still gives you so much room to be creative. First, you pick your charms -- and the selection is adorable and endless. My favorites were the whale, dagger, butterfly, zodiac signs, and initials -- but honestly, there are sooo many to choose from, you'll want them all. Next, you pick your chain (bracelet, necklace, or both). Pricing is per charm plus per meter for the chain, so you can keep it simple or go all out. I ended up making both a bracelet and a necklace, and I absolutely love them. The staff are friendly and helpful without hovering, and they'll walk you through how to attach everything or step in if you get stuck. The vibe is relaxed and welcoming, and it's easy to spend an hour or two just browsing, designing, and chatting while you work. Highly recommend for birthdays, girls' days out, or even a creative solo afternoon. I'm already planning my next visit to make more pieces! read more

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I highly recommend this store. They replaced the broken leather cord on a necklace my mother used to wear, and it means a lot to me. The price was reasonable, and the person who helped me was friendly and easy to work with. I'm really glad I chose them - especially since the place down the block only does soldering and won't touch costume jewelry. read more

Beadniks - Mother's necklace - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an experience! You need to make a reservation and mentally prepare to drop some money huntyyyy. Definitely recommend if you're able to swing it! First you walk around the shop and look at the thousands of charms. They get in new shipments daily! So magical. They suggest 7-9 charms for a necklace. They range anywhere from $2 - $20 per charm. Then you select your chain. They range from $30- $150 per foot. You need about 18 inches for a chain. Of course this varies but it's a solid average. Then you put the charms on using tools. This requires some patience and serious dexterity but it is so relaxing and fun to make. The good news is that the professionals will check your work and make any necessary corrections or tighten as needed. You have your one of a kind art of jewelry to take home! Emily was the real gem of our day and made the whole experience so enjoyable for us! I'll definitely be back! read more

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i took my little sister from Big Brothers Big Sisters here and she loved her necklace! we both managed to make pieces we really liked, and both of the workers at the counter were extremely nice and helped make sure our charms wouldn't fall off, and they haven't. their charm selection was pretty good but i was a little surprised that they didn't have some things, like any charms about music or instruments, when we were there but i know inventory changes frequently. we had one kind of strange interaction with someone who worked there. we put down our coats at an almost full table and went to pick out our charms. when we came back, the table was mostly empty but our coats were where we had left them, where two people that worked there were standing. my mentee very politely said "excuse me" so we could get to our coats. the man and woman that were there moved, but the woman said "that was weird." we didn't reply because we didn't think there was anything to say, but since we didn't reply, she felt the need to say "there were all of these open seats..." and yes, there were, but not when we put our coats down, and even if we were to sit at other open seats then, we would've still needed to get to our coats. the pair had a ladder, maybe they were trying to fix the smoke alarm that kept going off, not sure. it is pricey for sure, but everything is very clearly labeled and they double check with you before you move forward, so there's no being surprised by the price at the end, which i appreciated! we would definitely come back, and my mentee still talks about how much she loved making her necklace. read more

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I came in with an appointment to make my own necklace. The staff were helpful in explaining instructions, and the charm and chain options were vast. I had a blast making my necklace and actually came away with two! Would definitely recommend for a friends or family activity read more

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I found this place in search of something better than Michael's and Joann's () for beads. I do encourage people to support small businesses on Etsy too nonetheless and this was a great find in Chicago. the staff were super nice, really helpful, patient. the store itself was well organized and very aesthetic. they had a great selection of beads (I was particularly interested in 11/0 seed beads). I believe what they have are Miyukis but they had beads I could not find in other stores. they had other sizes as well and great extra things like lobster claws, 2 hole beads, affordable charms, chains, string, etc. They don't have absolutely everything (I could not find a beading mat, or fire line thread for example) but I will be coming back! The seed beads were very affordable too. read more

Beadniks - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I very rarely leave a bad review however my experience at Beadniks was awful. I had taken a 45-minute train ride on December 21st and entered Beadniks around 6 pm. Who I assume was the manager had told me that it was too late to make a bracelet because I wouldn't have enough time. That's fine with me so I browsed the charms. As I was going to ask a question, I was cut off. I asked "Hey, I was wondering if-" And immediately in a snappy tone, "No, you can't make a bracelet you won't have enough time." First of all, my question was going to be if I could put the beads I picked out on hold. She ended up putting them on hold. I then went to ask another question. I asked, "What day are-" Again, immediately cut off. "We are open every day Ma'am." At this point, I was confused as to why I couldn't even ask a question. My friend stepped in and said, "She was asking about what days you're open considering Christmas is coming up." She said, "We are open on Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day." Oh wow, well that's rare for a shop to be open on those days but that's great. I had gone in again (another 45-minute train ride) and walked up to the door. It was 12 pm. I look at the door and what do I see? "CLOSED DECEMBER 25 AND 26." Oh? But I thought you guys were open every day INCLUDING Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I went in the day after Christmas and you're still not open? To wrap this up, the lack of respect is so unnecessary for a jewelry store. Maybe with less rudeness, you'd attract more returning customers. read more

Beadniks - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a lovely place! I've been coming here for years to have my favorite jewelry pieces repaired and older pieces reworked into trendier styles. Beadniks is a retail store but has table space for creating your own jewelry. I've noticed recently they have moved to an online appointment system if you want to book a seat to make jewelry in-store. Otherwise, their staff has been friendly and knowledgeable in helping me find what I need to make my own jewelry at home. It is so important to support small neighborhood businesses in a world of Amazon. Beadniks is owned and operated by community-minded women and has always made me feel supported as a place to create and be creative. read more

Myself and 5 friends came to Beadniks for permanent jewelry and were extremely pleased with Courtney's (staff member) patience, support, and attention to detail. For one person, doing permanent jewelry is a process between picking the perfect chain, adding preferred charms, sizing, and then doing the "welding" service. Imagine doing than 5 times!! Courtney did such a great job doing FIVE in a row (and most of us got two each) Courtney was so extremely patient with our group. She allowed us the autonomy and time to pick the chains we like, gave suggestions based on our personal styles, helped each of us find or make a charm we liked and was so patient until each and every one of uswere absolutely thrilled with the look and feel of our jewelry. Her patience was so appreciated some of us (including myself) wanted to get two!! Between bracelets and anklets we all left so happy! Thanks so much for your help Courtney! If you are coming here I highly recommend Courtney to make your jewelry making experience extra special! read more

Beadniks - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Courtney and Ashley and Emily and Z and others all do the best most amazing outstanding job of creating and repairing Jewlery and I'm most grateful to them -I've been a client for over two years it's Oct 2025 I write this my name is Roberta -and the owner Lauren has the best group of employees ever working for her and a great shop with something for everyone to find to make any type of Jewlery or have their employees kindly assist you with it .Thank You Beadniks I'd be lost with out you I read more

What makes this shop stand out is their selection of single beads, stones, and gems! Two of the nicest people were working when I visited!

My girlfriend and I had a great time making charm bracelets. It is by appointment only because the seating is limited. My gf reads about everything beforehand, so we knew that they do not take walk-ins which is why we planned ahead, made appointments online, and cleared 2 hours for the full experience. The staff was super friendly and very helpful in explaining the process. It was fun to pick out charms that have a personal meaning. It did take us almost 2 hours to put them together with the tools they provided and we definitely went across the street after for a much deserved beer. Thank you Beadniks. Happy girlfriend, happy life read more

Fun activity but the charms are way overpriced. I made a charm necklace a couple of days ago and one of the charms--which cost $14-- already broke. Feels like a rip off. read more

Beadniks - Broken charm - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beadniks has an nice selection of beads and friendly staff. I have made many gorgeous necklaces from their selection of semi-precious stones. read more

I went to Beadniks for the first time a week ago and while I loved the charms/beads, I was less than impressed with the customer service. The two woman working were very cold with us and hurried us to finish. Once we left, we realized they overcharged my friend. As we went to make our bracelets at home, we realized they forgot to give me the jump rings to actually make the bracelet. Then, we realized they sold my friend and I the wrong kind of pliers. We spent a lot of money and are very disappointed in the obvious lack of care/customer service that we experienced. And now we have to spend even more money to get materials to finish our projects when we should have been given them the first time. Overall, we are extremely disappointed. read more

Went in for the first time to fix a gold chain and Sunny took care of me right away and fixed it in 10 min. Great service and a beautiful place! Highly recommend it!! read more

Lots of great merchandise to make your special piece...terrible & unpleasant staff that work there. Love to support local independent stores, but not this one. read more

DO NOT BOOK A PARTY! If I can give 0 star, I will. The concept is great, but staff need service training. The vibe is just off, seems like they don't want you there, nor do they want to help you. Our group more likely spent more or less $1k within less than 2 hours. Funny how they charge you with booking a table plus workshop fee $20 each - for guidance apparently. We didn't even use the table, we literally stood up at the counter same if you walk in. So why book a party? Book a table to have a designated help, which she was nowhere to find. You have to chase her around the store and felt like you're bothering her. Thanks but No thanks. I mean I liked the piece jewelry I made but I'll always remember this horrible experience. read more

Wonderful store. Incredible vibe and super helpful staff. The variety of beads is amazing.

Went in to this place for the first time to get a necklace fixed and everyone there was so incredibly nice and kind that I had to come back! After a few visits I absolutely love Beadniks! The selection of charms and jewelry is incredible. Every visit feels like a treasure hunt, and I always leave with unique finds for my projects. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, making it a perfect place for both beginners and experienced crafters. Highly recommend for anyone looking to explore their creativity! read more

My eleven year old daughter loves Beadniks so much and I want to love it too for her sake but the staff always acts put out by us whenever we ask for any help. It feels like they can't be bothered with customers and are crabby that we want to pay them. We sent our babysitter today with our daughter - a random summer Friday at opening at 11 am. There is not a soul in the store other than the employees and our babysitter is told that she needs a reservation. Turns out that reservations are required for "charm jewelry" which was not what we asked to do. But our sitter and daughter were made to feel like no reservation = get out of the store, period. My daughter and sitter were ultimately "allowed" to make bracelets so it worked out (but only after I called and reiterated that they didn't want to make charm jewelry (for which you need to make a reservation) and only wanted to bead (for which you do not need a reservation). I am counting down the days until my daughter grows out of her jewelry making phase so I can stop patronizing this store. Until then, I will continue to psych myself out and mentally prepare to be treated like a burden. I wish I could say that this was an isolated experience but we've been there 3 times and it's always like this. Many of the reviews complain about poor customer service and treatment at this store and where there's smoke, there's fire. The owner, Lauryn, often responds that her workers are kind and wonderful and that it's a few patrons who are mis-using yelp and anti-small business leaving bad reviews. It's not. The truth can be difficult to acknowledge but when so many patrons are reporting the same thing -- employees who act unhappy doing their job and have bad attitudes for seemingly no good reason -- there is likely something going on. read more

I have this old necklace from my grandmother that I love that broke. Beadniks was able to fix it for me. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and invited me to make an appointment (because space is limited) to make my own jewelry to pass down. Can't wait for the next girls' day out!! read more

If I could give zero, I would. It was such a horrible experience that I had to write my first review. We came in with 8 of our friends for a girlfriend's birthday. The main lady was very standoffish, rushing us out the door after 2 of the 4 girls had made a purchase, stating they are appointment only, and "we should've came earlier. Word of advice, the hours may be from 11-7, but you shouldn't get there after 6 or you may need to have "made an appointment." The staff clearly have something far more important than customer service and selling product to paying customers. read more

The help finding the right baubles to make my wife's valentines gift extra special was extra ordinary! Thanks Beadniks!

They made me the most beautiful necklace out of my odds and ends jewelry. My necklace has tons of meaning and I get compliments on it all the time. They also fixed jewelry that the fancy jewelry store down the street couldn't even fix. Nice people and reasonable prices. read more

The overall experience with the charm necklace making was fun, however the staff were a little off-putting and seemed annoyed at our questions and general presence at times. read more

Second time here, and this time the stakes were high. Had a picture of a necklace my wife wanted, and I needed help. The staff could sense I was confused and immediately came to my rescue. They held my hand every step of the way, let me design it (so I could still say "I made it") and then did the heavy lifting. I am so relieved and beyond thankful. Christmas was saved! read more

Very snooty vibe! No one gave me the time of day- asked if I had any questions or needed help finding something. Just really unwelcoming- I'd rather take the drive to Oak Park to go to Bead in Hand. They have a great selection- fairly priced and are very welcoming to everyone. read more

Long time customer of Beadniks and have always had pleasant experiences! Love the charms and beads and have many of their premade pieces.

I love this store!!! I went here recently to build a necklace for my best friends birthday present. It was so much fun getting to create my own jewelry and build it myself. The selection is huge and staff is extremely helpful and friendly! I can't speak highly enough about this place. My friend was obsessed with the necklace I made her! Thank you so much for the great experience. I will definitely be back soon! read more

Very cute experience. Definitely a little more expensive, but huge selection of charms to choose from, ended up making a charm bracelet with over 15 unique charms, workers just kind of quickly let you know what to do and leave you alone which I didn't mind, overall I really like the bracelet I made read more

Beadniks - Charm bracelet - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The selection of charms was solid, but it felt like more than half were just zodiac signs. Definitely would be better if there was a more solid variety it'd make me feel better about the price. For how much money you spend it feels silly to feel like you have to settle on certain charms to have a complete look. Additionally, the staff isn't the most welcoming, but maybe I caught them on an off day. read more

By far my favorite bead and jewelry store ever. Amazingly attentive customer service and a selection of beads and jewelry that I love to look at, even when I'm not there to purchase anything. There are unique items here unlike anything I can find anywhere else in Chicago. Lauryn is always friendly and helpful, and her staff is so well trained and super enthusiastic about their products and services. I always recommend this shop when someone is looking for a special gift. read more

Best selection of beads in all of Chicago! I am a longtime customer who loves to visit and see whats new. the staff is extremely helpful, especially Lauryn, the owner. i start out with just an idea and she helps it become a reality. Love everything about this gem of a store! read more

Great concept but UNJUSTIFIABLY overpriced. Everything they sell is available on Ali Express, Amazon, etc. for a fraction of the cost. Not even Michael's or Joanne upcharge to this extent. I understand that it's expected for a customer to pay a markup for getting to put your own jewelry together and for the selection, but they are charging $16-24 for a single bead that comes in a 10/50/100 pack for a couple of bucks. Everything is low-quality plastic or resin or thinly plated. They're charging jewelry prices for craft-level supplies. Will break or turn green almost instantly. Cute vibes in the store but I doubt you'll feel good walking away with these products for what you paid for them. read more

Wow, I am surprised by this little store! My sister decided to take me here and all I have been wanting to do is spend all my money there! They have a variety of beading items, stones, little cute jewelry and the vibe of this store speaks to my soul. I ended up buying an evil eye ring and a beautiful necklace. Try this place out if you are feeling creative, inspired or if you want to create a gift for someone. 10/10 read more

I have been to Beadnik 4 times in the past year and a half- 2 prior to them gaining popularity online for charm bracelets and necklaces and 2 after. The only difference between those visits was 1) how crowded the store was and 2) the fact they now require reservations for charm jewelry. My review is in 4 main categories: Atmosphere: Beadnik, even when crowded, is fairly quiet and peaceful, which makes it an enjoyable place to create jewelry. The website now requires reservations for charm and linked jewelry. That said, even if you are not interested in making a charm or linked bracelet, if you do not pay the $9 for a reservation ahead of time (which does not go towards the cost of the bracelet) and you walk in and the store is crowded, they will not seat you/will not queue you to be seated at a later time. Selection: Beadnik overall has a great charm and bead selection. For those reviews who state otherwise, 2 of my visits were within a month of each other, and between that time they had nearly fully rotated the charm selection. While the charms might be kitschy to some, that's what is popular and they are doing a good job of prioritizing popular designs. My only comment on the charms, similar to other reviewers, is that I wish they were transparent about the material on the premium charms vs the standard ones. I am realistic about the fact they will tarnish either way, but I'd still like to know what makes the premium charms 3-4x more expensive- aside from more intricate designs. They have never given me a straight answer. Tip: if you coat and set your charms in clear gel nail polish and reapply every few months, they will last longer Cost: Personally, I think the cost is fair for the items I have made (beaded or tiled bracelets with occasional charms). Customer Service: As other reviews allude to, Beadnik's customer service is subpar. In fact, it's the sole reason I will no longer support this business. Generally speaking, when going into an establishment that requires a degree of customer assistance, I don't expect employees to be my best friend, but I do expect them to 1) explain the process and 2) make me feel comfortable interacting with them. 3 of the 4 times I have went, Beadnik employees have not measured my wrist ahead of time so I knew how many beads I needed to string. I was met with frustration when I went up to have my beaded bracelets sealed because I did not gauge my wrist size appropriately. The one time they measured me beforehand, I realized that was supposed to be the standard process for bead-strung jewelry. The first time I went in, they were less-than-helpful in explaining the process. The remaining 3 times, I explained the process to the friend I brought as they still were unhelpful (and the store was only busy 1 of the 4 times I went). When I checked out last time, I noticed they had a rewards program (which they've never mentioned) listed on the side of the cash register. If you're going to have a rewards program, why not promote it? One friend wanted to mimic a specific bracelet design online and she showed it to an employee to ask for help- it was like pulling teeth getting them to assist in trying to recreate the bracelet. Her questions were met with one word answers and no further suggestions if they simply said "no" (she was not making anything complicated). I truly hate making subjective reviews, but after my friends' and my last experience, coupled with the other reviews, I simply will not be supporting this business further based on the attitudes of the employees alone. They make you feel like every question is a chore for them to answer- if they answer at all (and trust me, I'm not incessantly asking questions), they're very judgmental, and they act like they don't want you in their store/want your business. I want to be clear that it's not just my experience, but everyone I've brought with me as well. I've never felt this unwelcome in a store in my 9 years living in Chicago. read more