Visiting Villalobos Street: Manila's Bead Haven

So where does one get her beads and craft supplies in Manila?

Everything you need for beadwork, crafts and jewelry making is at Villalobos St. in Quiapo, Manila. The street offers an incredible selection of beads and jewelry supplies at reasonable prices.

Okay, so obviously I'm still in a daze whenever I think about this Beader's Paradise. I can spend a day inside one shop alone. Mind you, there are several bead shops in the area and after a few visits you'll be able to gauge the stock qualities of each store. Villalobos street just inspires me to be creative and motivated in my designs. The bead pricing per stem is reasonable, and set accordingly to its category, some stores carry huge bead volumes sold at dirt cheap prices.

Here's a checklist of the beading essentials you can possibly find at each shop:

• precious stones
• semi-precious stones
• murano beads
• bicones
• cube crystals
• glass beads
• seed beads
• spacers
• lentils
• rice pearls
• rondelles
• teardrops
• drops
• briolettes
• keshis
• ear nuts
• earring wires
• nylon wires
• jump rings
• split rings
• S-Hook clasps
• toggle clasps
• lobster claw clasps
• crimp ends
• crimp tube
• bails
• pinch bails
• connectors
• eye pins
• head pins
• chain nose pliers
• diagonal wire cutters
• split ring pliers
• malleable wires
• bead caps
• multi-strand spacer bars
• five-to-one chandeliers

For Beginners or those trying to build their starter kits, I suggest you check out Wellmansons. Its like the SM Shoemart of Beads! the salesladies in dark blue uniforms give you that department store vibe. And don't be surprise when they pull down boxes from their ceiling, yeah soooo SM shoemart circa 80s. Don't get me wrong, I think the air conditioning, wooden interiors and mood lighting set-up is a plus! You tend to forget you're in Quiapo.

What I love about Wellmansons is that their supplies are well-organized. A saleslady can tell you off the bat what shelf you can find a certain item. Each shelf is numbered and categorized by what kind of bead or metal accessory is on display. Hence, the connectors and the crimps go together while all the wooden beads are located far enough from possibly getting mixed with the glass or plastic ones.

Interestingly, you would bump into buyers and export QAs with their design sketches, ordering items in bulk by their number codes. You'll also find nuns hoarding religious relics and wooden crosses.

Unfortunately, not all shops are as organized with their wares as Wellmansons. Like I said, beginners should make the shop as their starting point. The staff is overall friendly, but they can get a bit pushy to get you out the door by closing time.



Still the other shops are worth looking into, the competition is often determined by the pieces they carry. Avid beaders flock to those who carry really fine and rare items like ornate or vintage pieces.

So check out the entirety of Villalobos street, it might even change your view of Quiapo altogether.

And you think Manila wasn't so crafty?