Check out your local dollar stores – the ones by my house sell a bunch of beads for very affordable prices. Don’t only look for packs of beads, but for beaded necklaces/bracelets as well. My dollar store sells a ton of necklaces for a dollar or two, and I take them apart for the beads. One of my dollar stores (Dollarama) sells sets of a variety of colours of coloured beads for only a dollar fifty – I know there are Dollaramas all over Canada, but I’m not sure if they’re also located out of the country. Other dollar stores in my area sell beads, but the local Dollarama has the best variety, in my opinion. Dollar stores may also sell cheap lobster claws – I’ve used a couple that seemed to work fine with no problem, but be wary of them anyways as they might be made very cheaply.

If you have a Michaels Arts and Crafts near you, they also sell a ton of beads. They can sometimes be quite expensive at Michaels, but you can check out their weekly sales and coupons on their website before going. They have like weekly 40% coupons (You can use one per person per day) that can save you a ton of money.

I’ve never been to a Hobby Lobby as there are none where I live, but I’ve heard some good things.

Walmart also sells some beads for reasonable prices, but Walmart is usually my last resort because the variety isn’t amazing in mine and the prices aren’t low enough for me. However, they do still have some nice beads and would be worth a look.

Another thing you can do that I’ve been doing is visiting local thrift shops. I’ve bought some of my best beads from thrifts stores. They can sell a lot of second hand jewelry for cheap, and you can take them apart and use the beads. Sometimes you can even find some packs of new beads people have donated. I once found a bunch of brand-new beads in a thrift store being sold altogether for only 3 dollars, and I knew for a fact they were worth at least thirty dollars! Another time I found a bag filled with unopened packs of wooden beads with gorgeous designs on them (about 1000 beads) and it only cost me Two dollars! Another time they were selling three rolls of 400 feet hemp twine – one plain, one red and one blue – for only two dollars! Amazing finds! You need to keep visiting them – There are times when I can’t stop finding things I can use for necklaces, and times when I walk out empty handed. I visit thrift stores (mostly Value Village) about twice a week just to check for materials!

Another idea, you can make some homemade beads by using bakeable polymer clay – you can make different shapes and sizes and make different patterns. There’s like an unlimited source of possibilities when using clay for beads! You just need to make sure there are holes in it and can attach easily to the string (I stick a toothpick in them and bake it with it in, then I pull it out once it’s cooked). You can paint your own designs on them if you want and you can also use a finish to help protect it and give it a nice finishing shine! If you have a Michaels near you, they often seem to have sales on clay or you can use a coupon to buy a big pack of various coloured clay for almost half the price!

Another thing you can do is make homemade paper beads out of old magazines and catalogs. They can actually make really nice beads! You need scissors, glue, a toothpick (or something similar to wrap paper around), old magazines/catalogs and clear nail polish to put on it to protect it from unwrapping, water and give it a nice shine! You cut paper in a triangular shape from up to down the page and you roll it on the toothpick, put glue on before you finish rolling it, and then seal it with clear nail polish. You can find tons of instructions and tutorials if you google or youtube how to make paper beads.

Pretty much, you always need to keep an eye open for beads – look at any craft stores you can think of in your area, they might have some beads. Ask people if they know of any bead stores or even just stores that sell just a few. Oh, and always make sure the holes in the beads will be big enough to fit through the string you’re using before buying – it might be harder to judge at first, but after making a couple you’ll learn fast.

One I found online was a website call Fire Mountain Gems. You can sign up for a free catalog. They have supplies better then plastic but the larger the quantity you order the cheaper it is. (At least that is the way it seems, have not had the cash to order from them myself yet.)

Finally, since it sounds like your looking for “pony beads” try this website: http://www.orientaltrading.com/ If you search for “Pony Beads” they have bulk amounts of like 2000 beads for $ 8.
Good Luck!!!