A bag of seed beads used to be an easy add-on at the big craft store, but lately the receipt tells a different story. Across Louisiana, independent bead shops are picking up the slack with deeper selections, real help at the counter, and prices that often beat the chains.
Some sell gemstones by the strand, while others move Mardi Gras throws by the case. Here are eight places from Magazine Street to Lafayette where makers, krewes, and parade riders are taking their business.
1. The Bead Shop, New Orleans, LA
Walls of strands sorted by color, a worktable with tools ready to go, and a front porch on Magazine Street: that is the scene at 4612 Magazine St. The Bead Shop works out of a converted house in Uptown New Orleans, and the setting suits a place built for lingering over small decisions.
Stock runs wide here, covering glass, sterling, ethnic, and seed beads along with the findings needed to turn them into finished pieces. Classes and parties fill out the calendar, so the shop doubles as a teaching space rather than a quick grab-and-go aisle.
Staff are known for walking newcomers through a project from first bead to final clasp, which matters when you are building a necklace and have no idea how much wire you need.
Practical details make planning easy. Hours run Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM, with Mondays closed.
Street parking is available, both free and paid depending on the block.
Curbside pickup, delivery, and in-store pickup are offered too, a handy option when you already know what you want. The shop is also welcoming to LGBTQ+ customers and identifies as a transgender safe space.
2. String A Bead, Metairie, LA
Fleur-de-lis charms, streetcar pendants, and jewelry you can customize with a little New Orleans pride give String A Bead its personality. Found at 4409 Chastant St in Metairie, the store works as a straightforward bead supply shop with a local streak running through the display cases.
Most people come for the basics, and the shelves deliver strands and supplies for everyday jewelry projects. The New Orleans-themed pendants and charms set it apart from the chain aisles, where regional pieces tend to be scarce or generic.
If you are making gifts for out-of-town family, a city-themed charm saves you from hunting online and waiting on shipping.
Keep an eye out for the occasional surprise, too. The shop has been known to stock odds and ends beyond beads, including budget-friendly loungewear priced around eight dollars, so a browse can turn up more than you planned.
Timing takes a little attention. Monday hours run 10 AM to 4:30 PM, Tuesday through Thursday stretch to 6 PM, and Friday and Saturday close at 4:30 PM.
Sundays are closed.
Delivery is not offered, so plan on stopping in. The visit is usually quick, which makes it easy to fold into errands on the Metairie side of the parish line.
3. Cajun Bead Crafts, Baton Rouge, LA
Booth G-52 does not sound like much on paper. Yet this small stall at 7126 Antioch Rd in Baton Rouge has built a following around one simple promise: quality beads at prices that undercut the big craft stores.
Cajun Bead Crafts operates inside a multi-vendor marketplace, so the experience feels closer to a weekend market than a retail chain. That format keeps overhead low, and the savings show up on the price tags.
The owners run the booth themselves, which means the person ringing you up likely picked out the stock.
Because it is a booth rather than a full storefront, the selection is curated rather than sprawling. Think of it as a spot to restock favorites and catch good buys, especially if your hobby budget has been stretched thin by rising prices elsewhere.
Schedule matters more here than at most stops. The booth is closed Monday through Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday hours run 10 AM to 5 PM, Saturday opens earlier at 9 AM and closes at 5 PM, and Sunday runs noon to 5 PM.
Delivery is not available, and updates tend to come through the shop’s Facebook page. A quick check before heading out along Antioch Road can save a wasted trip.
4. Meme’s Beads and Things, Slidell, LA
Teaching sits at the center of everything at Meme’s Beads and Things. The Slidell shop describes itself as a local bead store that specializes in showing people how to make jewelry of all kinds, and the schedule backs that up.
Classes meet four times a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On top of that, the shop hosts a Fun Day each month and two bead retreats a year, one in May and one in October.
For Northshore makers who want more than a solo project at the kitchen table, that calendar offers steady company and new techniques.
Supplies hold up their end. The selection runs from seed beads to findings to gemstones and well beyond, so students can buy materials right after learning how to use them.
That convenience cuts down on guessing and returns.
You will find the shop at 106 Gause Blvd W, Suite A-5, with a free parking lot out front. Hours run Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday is closed.
Delivery is not offered, but in-store shopping is the point anyway. Ask about the next retreat date early, since a spring or fall weekend devoted to beading tends to fill a crafter’s calendar fast.
5. Nelson Bay Beads, New Orleans, LA
Few bead shops can sell you an amethyst bracelet and a disc golf driver in the same visit. Nelson Bay Beads, at 2855 Magazine St in the Lower Garden District stretch of New Orleans, happily does both.
The heart of the shop is handmade jewelry built from natural stone, including bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Around those pieces sits a large collection of rocks, gemstones, and minerals gathered from around the world.
For makers, that mix offers inspiration; for gift shoppers, it means finished pieces ready to wrap.
Then come the curveballs. Disc golf supplies by Aboriginal discs share space with the stones, and the walls feature artwork by local artist Becci Rae Edwards.
The result feels more like a personal collection than a craft supply warehouse.
Schedules are refreshingly simple. Doors open seven days a week from 11 AM to 6 PM, which makes it one of the easier stops on this list to catch on a Sunday or Monday when other shops are dark.
Delivery is not offered, and visits tend to be quick. Pair it with a stroll down Magazine Street, where The Bead Shop sits a couple of miles uptown for anyone planning a full bead-hunting afternoon.
6. Beads for Less on Bertrand, Lafayette, LA
Parade season in Acadiana runs on throws, and Beads for Less on Bertrand stocks them by the armload. The Lafayette store at 124 Bertrand Dr bills itself as a one-stop shop for Mardi Gras, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, the Fourth of July, homecoming, Christmas, and festival parades.
Shelves carry a large selection of Mardi Gras beads, flags, and parade throws, along with masks and costumes for different occasions. Krewe members loading a float and families gearing up for a neighborhood parade can cover most of their list in one stop.
Shoppers regularly point to the selection and the prices, and the store aims to keep both competitive.
Efficiency is another plus. The layout lets you get in and out in a reasonable amount of time, which counts for a lot in the weeks before Carnival when every errand piles up.
Hours run Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM. Mondays and Sundays are closed, so plan weekend runs early.
Can’t make the drive to Lafayette? The business also runs an e-commerce site for beads and party supplies, a useful backup when a parade date sneaks up faster than expected.
7. Bead Busters (Formerly Beads Galore), Lafayette, LA
Personalized beads are the calling card at Bead Busters, the Lafayette shop many still remember as Beads Galore. Want a strand that carries your krewe name or a family tradition?
The shop can make custom beads to order.
Beyond the custom work, the store covers a wide sweep of Carnival gear. Expect flags, dolls, tutus, shirts, hair pins, earrings, bead necklaces, and plenty of accessories to round out a parade outfit.
It leans toward dressing people and floats rather than stocking jewelry-making supplies, which makes it a good complement to the craft-focused shops elsewhere on this list.
Located at 4909 Cameron St, on the western edge of Lafayette toward Scott, the shop sits along a busy corridor that is easy to reach from I-10 traffic heading in and out of town.
One important note: hours vary. The shop asks visitors to call ahead at 337-769-8034 to check availability or set up an appointment, and custom orders will go smoother with that conversation anyway.
A restroom is available on site, a small comfort during longer browsing sessions. Give custom bead orders plenty of lead time before Mardi Gras so your throws arrive ahead of the first parade.
8. Beads By the Dozen Inc, Harahan, LA
Scale defines Beads By the Dozen. The Harahan business at 333 Edwards Ave runs a large showroom packed with Mardi Gras beads, party supplies, and costume accessories, built for buyers who measure throws by the bag instead of the strand.
Variety is the draw. Colors, lengths, and styles stretch across the showroom, giving riders room to mix standard strands with specialty pieces.
Prices are a big part of the appeal, and the staff earn steady praise for being friendly and helpful while you sort through options.
Harahan’s location between Metairie and the river makes the showroom a practical stop for East Jefferson krewes and New Orleans riders alike. It is the kind of place where planning a float budget starts to look manageable again.
Hours are weekday only: Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5:30 PM, with Saturday and Sunday closed. That schedule rewards anyone who can slip away on a lunch break or take a morning off.
Parking is in a paid lot, and delivery is not offered, so bring a vehicle with room in the back. After a season of watching prices creep up elsewhere, loading up here can feel like the smartest Carnival move of the year.