This past Friday night, a friend of mine visited and we were looking for something to do. We had planned to do some exploring and picture-taking by the river, but the rainy weather kind of ruined that. Instead, we hopped in my car, drove into downtown Lancaster and poked around the city to see if we could find something to occupy our time. Little did we know, we stumbled upon The Bead Works right around the corner on Orange Street.
Being the artsy, jewelry-making fanatic person I am, I was in heaven. Beads, charms and other crafting supplies of the like hung on the wall everywhere I turned. If you’re looking for something to do with your girlfriends on a night off, The Bead Works is the perfect place for you.
The great thing about this place is that The Bead Works applies to people of all ages, interests and skill levels. Novice? No problem. My friend picked out a few beads and charms to make a simple bracelet. More advanced? I was able to choose other supplies to make a necklace for a bit of a challenge since I’m a bit more experienced with jewelry making. No matter what, employees are always on hand and willing to help and give advice with your projects. Plus, it’s not a problem if you have a group with individual budgets, either. Want to splurge on exquisite, hand-blown glass beads? Go for it. Don’t have that much money to spend? Not a problem either – The Bead Works has plenty of less expensive plastic and wooden beads that still look really cool.
The Bead Works has each item in the store individually priced – beads range from as little as five cents to about ten dollars, depending on the material. Kits of similar beads are available as well from three to fifteen dollars if you don’t want to spend a ton of time picking out each bead. Prices of each project (bracelet, necklace or earrings) vary, as the string materials, clasps and studio fee are all different. Don’t worry, though – there’s no doubt you can walk into the store, then walk out an hour later with a beautiful, intricate piece of personally-made jewelry for less than twenty dollars. Like I said, there’s options for everyone.
The Bead Works is located right at 16 Orange Street in Downtown Lancaster. Want more information? Call 717-299-9963 or visit their website. Party reservations and classes are available as well. Not into jewelry? Take a stab at glazing clay creations downstairs at The Pottery Works (that will definitely be my next stop the next time I’m in a creative mood). Make sure you grab a chai latte at the famous Prince Street Café afterward. Happy crafting!