(Part 2) Best beads & bead assortments according to redditors

[Black seed beads are what you are looking for.] (https://www.amazon.com/Miyuki-Delica-Cylinder-Seed-Beads/dp/B071F95XZL/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=black+seed+beads&qid=1557269502&s=arts-crafts&sr=1-8) Up through the hole, through the eye of the bead, and back down through the hole. Do this at least two times for each bead to make the buttons more secure.

Pattern is Arachnoshawl on Ravelry (not a free pattern).

My project page is here. Yarn is Ewe So Happy Sock in Rockbiter by Tempting Ewe Yarns. The two lovely ladies who dye this yarn also own my LYS, and this is my first project with their yarn. Won't be my last, for sure! I haven't been able to weigh the leftover yarn to be sure, but I used about 380 yards.

There are 900 6/0 silver seed beads that I bought off of Amazon . Put on using the crochet hook method with a 0.6mm hook.

This exact bracelet set is sold by Hippie Artesanatos in Brazil, but it seems they only ship within the country. It appears these bracelets use simple glow-in-the-dark beads though, so you could make some yourself - these beads look similar to the ones they used.

TUMBEELLUWA Rock Quartz Crystal Points Loose Beads for Jewelry Making, Titanium Coated Polished/Raw Quartz Points Beads 15 Inches Top Drilled,Burgundy Crystal Points(0.5"-1.6") https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2WS87L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9kTTDb1VFZJ1H

You can find em on ebay and Amazon

Are you sure this is amazonite? Amazonite can be translucent, but is mostly opaque. The cracks, color, and transparency look more like dyed quartz beads.

You can get them on Ebay, they are use for nail polish. Also you can get the kind for bracelets, they have a hole in the middle for string, but that won't matter for this application.

Here are 1440, 6mm beads for $17. They come in cheaper and smaller quantities.
https://www.amazon.com/Pandahall-Handcrafted-Crackle-Lampwork-Assortment/dp/B077P52HQ5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=6mm+glass+beads&qid=1562188095&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I was so happy with how prominent the beads are! These are the ones i used. I believe i went through 4 or 5 bags of them.

NBEADS 100 Pcs 8mm Metal Spacer Beads, 304 Stainless Steel Round Beads Smooth Rondelle Loose Beads for DIY Jewelry Making Findings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773HLXPS/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_EDHKDbXZABHAS

in case you decide to settle for less:

7mm black disc

7mm white disc

10mm white disc

Given that a Buddhist Malas are usually 18, 27, 54 or 108 beads this fits the specifications.

So this might be just a non-normative informal secular mala.

even irregular bead sizes do happen ( http://www.valleyartstheatre.co.uk/images/cate_40/640/Handmade-Tibetan-Bodhi-Beads-Bracelet-Buddhist-Mala-Bracelet-Tibetan-Wrist-Mala-Bodhi-Root-Deginer-Jewelry-Gift-GYEZ4992-uku0.jpg ; https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Brown-Rudraksha-Buddhist-Meditation/dp/B07L71Z9KQ)So yes you just made a Buddhist prayer bead neclace.

So does the game tho.

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It is nice tho.

How small are the tiles? Can you fit three 5mm cubes on a tile?

5mm is pretty small.

6mm cubes are only 8 cents USD each.

Or going back to dice, could you use different color dice for different things? Different size dice?

They're called brass crimp rings. Something like these: https://www.amazon.com/Mandala-Crafts-Findings-Variety-Crafting/dp/B07CH2SGSL/ref=sr_1_10_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1536935796&sr=8-10-spons&keywords=brass+crimp+ring&psc=1

But I've just used 2x ZIP ties to secure them. Works great!

These are the ones I bought. I’m just trying them out. https://www.amazon.com/BIHRTC-Rondelle-Faceted-Findings-Assorted/dp/B0721K2MLW?th=1&psc=1

I really appreciate it! Picked these up from Amazon. You should also take a look on Etsy for some beads as there's many talented people on there that make some amazing stuff!

Something that isn’t dice to mark wounds and broken troops.

I know that craft skulls are pretty popular here. Get a base and glue a section of a kabob stick or something to it and drop the skulls on for each wound. Personally, I bought a pack of small wood blocks and painted them to vaguely look like medpacks for guardsmen.

A page protector for your tactics card makes it easier to pull them up during the game.

Some kind of dice box. I just use a small box a puzzle came in, but there should be something to dedicate for your dice rolls so they don’t fly everywhere.

Can I just be nosey and ask what kind of class this is for? It sounds super fun.

On a more practical note I think you are in the right track with clay. To get them rounder you could try to find an appropriate sized mold. Either something like this or just free hand it.

It looks like actual billiard balls are made of resin though if you want to experiment with that. I have no advice on working with resin though.

Another option would be getting small craft balls and just painting them. Like [these] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQG9211/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lL57ybS3CEQD2). You could fill the hole with wood filler.

Good luck regardless!

If you brought some of these beads you’d be able to tell how much UV is blocked compared to the regular windscreen.

Artkal has the best color selection, but you'll have to have it shipped to you. https://www.bakerskidscrafts.com/ is the only US reseller I know of (I'm gonna assume you're in North America). Otherwise, you'll have to order from their main site https://artkalfusebeads.com/ , and a package typically takes 2 weeks to arrive. Free shipping to the US and a few other countries. Artkal beads come in two types of beads. Hard and Soft. (The soft beads are exclusive to ARTKAL and are a special flexible kind of bead). You can get the beads in two sizes as well; Midi (regular sized, 5mm), and mini (2.6 mm). I personally use Artkal mini soft beads as my main beads, which is the A-series of beads. Though I do also have some C-series beads (the mini hard beads), and perler mini beads. And a small selection of Perler midi beads.

Artkal hard beads (both midi and mini) can be used with Perler brand beads. If you live in the states, you can find bags of perler beads for sell at most craft stores (though limited selection of colors in stock sometimes), and online websites that ship within the US. If you'd like to be able to restock quickly, you might go for the Perler beads, so you can just run to the store and restock when necessary (If you're in North America). You can also take advantage of craft store coupons and sales. And for more variety of colors after you become experienced, you can pair it up with Artkal hard Midi beads (S-series beads).

There are other brands of beads, such as Hama (comes in both midi and mini), and Melty brand beads. I've seen Melty brand beads in some craft stores and even walmarts, but I've never tried them. I just get the feeling they're not going to be as good quality as Perler or Artkal, but I dont know. Hama beads I've never used myself, but I've heard they can melt a bit odd, and while they *can* be used with Perler, they dont melt the same, so they do look off. (again, I dont have personal experience with this)

Overall, if you just want to try the beads, before deciding to commit to the hobby, I suggest you get one or two of the kits. If you're interested in midi beads, I suggest you pick up something like this:

Perler 16 Color tray - $8

if you're interested in the mini hard beads, you can pick up one or more of the Perler mini trays. There are many different trays, each with 8 colors (1000 ish beads each). And they're around $8 to $10 each. The Joanne's Craft store near me sells them.

Perler Mini Tray, Warm colors

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If you want a bigger selection of colors, you can consider these trays:

ARTKAL Mini hard beads, c-series 48 colors kit

or

ARTKAL Mini soft beads, a-series 48 colors kit

or

ARTKAL Midi hard beads, S-series 48 color kit

Whichever kit you get, you'd be best off buying it with an extra bag of black beads, because black is the most used color in beadsprites.

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When choosing mini versus midi, it's just personal preference. I prefer mini, for these reason, 1. they cost less, 2. they take up less space, 3. finished pieces look more detailed. Though for some people, mini beads are too small, and take more concentration to use.

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Sorry for some much text. If you dont happen to live in North America, then possible another brand of beads other than Perler is cheaper and easier to obtain.