Your creativity and generosity make a profound impact every day on the lives of brave kids and teens coping with cancer and other serious illness. Every glass bead you donate becomes a symbol of courage and bravery for a child or teen participating in Beads of Courage programs. Your talent and artistry helps children honor their courage and tell their stories.
Glass Bead Artists
Handmade Glass Guidelines
Act of Courage Beads
Act of Courage Beads can take almost any form that you would like to make—it’s an opportunity for you to let your imagination go! The 3/32″ mandrel is preferred but other sizes are also usable.
Please have nice ‘puckers’ on the ends of the beads, sharp edges on the bead holes cut fingers and can not be sent out. Overly frilly bits sticking out may break off and leave sharp edges on the surface, be sure that raised dots have solid connections (no undercuts) and that surface decorations are robust enough to take some knocking about.
We ask that you refrain from using reduction frit or glasses that give a metallic sheen on the surface due to heavy metal issues with these materials. We can’t send metallic reduction surface beads to the kids.
Anneal your beads properly in a kiln to ensure they don’t crack. Cracked beads have to go in the waste basket.
Please make sure that the bead release is cleaned out. Beads with the release still inside take more time for our volunteer staff to clean and this tremendously slows down turnaround time to the hospitals.
When you send your beads please fill out the Bead Donation Form, it helps us to expedite sending you a receipt and certificate for your donation.
The Beads of Courage mission is supported by the artist-exclusive made beads for our Shop to Support, Fine Art Galleries, Auctions, and Carry a Bead Initiatives!
If you would like to contribute your glass beads to our fundraising efforts, please contact sabrina@beadsofcourage.org
What is a Bead Ready Kit?
For Glass Bead Artists who are inspired to make beads for Beads of Courage, our Bead ready Kits include packaging and promotional materials for our Carry a Bead Kits. You add the important pieces: Two matching handmade beads filled with encouragement!
Sell the Carry a Bead Kits at shows, online, and to your family and friends for $15.
Thank you to the glass bead artists who have made Beads of Courage Dream Beads for our members!
If you are interested in being added to our Artist On Call Roster, contact Sabrina@beadsofcourage.org