The Jewel Starter Set is the perfect set for new Aqua beaders. It comes with simple templates to follow and it lets you create all kinds of creatures and objects. Aqua beads are small plastic beads which can be used to make pictures and then you use water to fuse them together to make the design in 2D or 3D.
Inside the box, it comes with:
- Over 800 jewel beads
- 5 template sheets
- Bead case
- Layout tray
- Base tray
- Sprayer
- Bead pen
- Instructions
This set comes with an amazing 800 beads and a plastic bead case to display the beads. There is also a handy bead placer included, making it even easier to create detailed designs. My son had no problems using the placer to place the beads onto the layout tray. Occasionally, the beads falls off the placer or the beads move to another gap after placing it but generally, they are easy to place.
There are 5 different templates and also a 3D creations template set including a pencil-holder and a photo frame. After trying out the template, Mr K decided to freestyle. So he made a hexagon shape coaster.
After he created a design, simply fill the sprayer with water and spray the water mist onto the beads. Wait for at least an hour to dry before removing it from the tray. I find it quite hard to know how much water to spray. So trying to take it off without breaking is the most tricky part of this craft. Sometimes, the water mist didn’t reach some parts of the area, so the beads on the side tend to drop off without sticking. When I put too much water, it take a long time to dry (1 – 2 hours) and the back of the bead design becomes soggy to touch after removing it from the tray. It is quite hard to adjust the amount of water to get it right. I think this maybe something that comes with experience – the more you do it, the better you get at judging this. Also one thing to note is that, when the design is sprayed with water, you won’t be able to use the tray until it has dried. So if you have more than one child wanting to design something, they won’t be able to straight away. My daughter was quite disappointed but after an hour or so to allow Mr K’s design to dry, she was ready to make her own!
The designs look fantastic and my son loved his. He enjoyed the flexibility of following a template or creating his own design. They are available in Amazon and all good toy shops. I would recommend them for independent creative play.
Disclosure: We have received the sample for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
I really like the look of these – I think it is the sort of thing my son would love to do.
We did make a few designs whilst another was already drying, it’s ok to do as long as you have two timers. I found a butter knife worked well to take the design off the tray when one side had dried, and then flip it over.