Abacus Beads

Absolutely too small a place for any serious beading. No high quality beads or stones like gem stones or Swarovski crystals. Very disappointed.

If are female– I don’t think many men would dig this place– and you like making your own jewelry then Abacus Beads is the place for you.
You can get all types of beads, plastic, wooden, shiny, sparkly and a ton of wires, attachments and all the niggly little things you need to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, broaches– you get the picture!
They are all laid out in little wooden sqaures on the worktops, making it quite easy to browse. The shop is absolutely tiny but they manage to cram a lot in.
Not my thing, but if you want to embark on making a necklace for a friend as a nice personal present, this would be the place to hit.

From the outside I think Abacus Beads looks like a hotel reception, im not sure why I think this, maybe its because I wish it was. I don’t really get this whole idea of a shop completely dedicated to beads?
I see myself as quite an artsy guy but I don’t understand the concept of this shop. Most people will be saying now that I need to use my imagination and that I am obviously not very creative but I can assure you I am. I went into Abacus today to see if could convert myself, kind of like when you are caught smoking and are make to smoke a whole box of cigarettes except with beads.
I went in and I honestly was not impressed, I began to come round to the idea of making your own jewellery and I think this place will most likely make all its money from teenage girls making friendship bracelets for each other. But al I kept thinking was I wish all these rainbow coloured beads were sweets.
Im just not feeling it at all, the shop is well kept and I can see why it is so alluring to bead lovers but it is just not my thing.

Like jewellery? Like beads? Like beading? Like making your own beaded stuff?
Of course you already know all about Abacus Beads then. This tiny little shop specialises in all shapes and styles of beads plus the thread/​wires and a whole host of tools to make your beading go a bit smoother.
Despite the small size and less than exciting shop front the shop does indeed cram quite a lot of stock in. The beads are all laid out in little wooden trays so you can at a glance see the colours/​styles and check them out for yourselves.
The staff are friendly and seem to be really into the whole bead experience, offering advice and solutions to the (mostly) female customers in the shop. Definitely a unique one-​off little craft experience.
Pros: Tons of stock, helpful staff.
Cons: Beads beads beads.

Remember the 90s? Remember when customising your clothes was all the rage? Well that’s when Abacus appeared on my radar. I was the girl who ripped the waist off her jeans and sewed sequins around the pockets. I used to go in and just imagine all the amazing things I could do with a sewing needle and some buttons (never mind the fact that I’m about as crafty as a penguin!)
It’s the tiniest little shop, but given that the stock doesn’t require a lot of space, that’s ok.
The last time I ventured in was before my graduation. I couldn’t find the right necklace to go with my dress so I decided to make one. I was able to find all I needed in the store and it was cheaper than buying a necklace anywhere else. Now, as it happened, I didn’t get round to finishing what I started because my mum took pity and bought me a nice piece of jewellery as my graduation gift which solved all the problems.
Probably just as well actually — God only knows what monstrosity I would have created…
I love that Abacus is still around. Craft is bigger than ever now, so a shop like this is just what people need to get creative.

Having previously made known my lack of artistic talent to the world of Unilocal (Craft World will explain all), it may come as a surprise to you that, not only have I ventured into Abacus Beads, but I have also purchased a good few. Beads that is.
It was a good while ago, mind you, when Abacus was located in the ‘In-​Shops’. Quite possibly about 8 to 10 years ago, when my school friends and I went through a jewellery making phase, and paid numerous visits to Abacus for all sorts of different beads. I remember selecting mint green beads, midnight blue beads, purple beads (all my favourite colours), and some nice gold wire in order to make the jewellery. I ‘created’ rings, necklaces and bracelets… none of which were that great but it kept me out of trouble and gave me something to do.
Long gone are the days that Abacus at ‘In-​Shops’ was frequented, and beads selected almost every weekend. It’s now got its own little bead gallery on Castle Street, but its still the same old Abacus. When I peeped in today, I noticed the same great value beads (from 5p each), the different wire and thread used, as well as the tools required for hooking beads onto these materials.
Pretty much everything you need for jewellery making /​other bead needs contained in one teeny tiny shop.

Yet another of my typical artsy-​fartsy-​craftsy places to wallow and be happy. I went through a real phase of making my own jewellery, and loved using a mix of glass, wooden and Swarovski beads together, and this was my port of call for all my supplies and information on techniques and styles of jewellery making. The staff are very helpful with advice and help on the best way to go about making beaded jewellery and have patience and lots of great ideas. The beads and other accessories aren’t over-​priced either, with some beads only costing a few pence each. If you are a bead, jewellery or craft enthusiast, I would recommend a visit.

Although this is probably the smallest shop in Belfast, it is definately one of my favourites. They have hundreds of beads of different shape, size, colour and material. They also sell all the accessories to make jewellary or other craft items. The staff are really knowledgable and give great advice. I think they might even run some jewellary making classes. The beads are reasonably priced it is a shop that is well worth a visit for all craft enthusiasts.

They have millions of beads for anyone into arts & crafts! Very cheap as some can cost only 3p each! Great if you fancy a nice hairdo to add loads of beads too. A great selection & the staff are lovely. A small shop, can be hard to spot but worth taking a look!