Walco Bead Co.

Indian Head Logo

Walco Bead Co. was one of the largest bead companies in the United States at the start of the 1900s. It was a landmark in New York's "bead alley" at 37 West 37th Street.

Overview

Walco's technique in marketing was to manufacture bead kits to encourage adults and children to make projects. Many styles of these kits were available, mainly Indian beading belts. During the Depression, beads were an inexpensive and Bead Crafting is a time consuming hobby that produced beautiful results. These Kits included beads, a bead loom, string, and instructions.

In the 1930s with the addition of the "Official Boy Scout Beadcraft Outfit" all kits came with full illustrated easy-to-read instructions, "Walco Indian Bead Loom". With this complete beadcraft outfit you can make a variety of colorful Indian belts, rings, neckerchief slides, and other beautiful beaded objects.

In the 1950s, Walco introduced jewelry kits and larger "Bead Embroidery Kits". These were eye catching for women to glamorize their clothes - their sweaters, blouses, dresses, scarves, stoles, and jackets. These kits were sold as complete kits and patterns were available separately.

Beaded Bouquets was yet another kit available, in a soft cover book titled "WALCO Instructions for making BEADED BOUQUETS". This contained instructions for making California Poppy, Rose Spray, Rose Bouquet, Tulips and Daisies, Sweetheart Roses, Apple Blossoms and Lily-of-the-Valley, Country Charmer, Geranium Garden, and Iris-Daisy-Daffodil.

By the early 1970s Walco manufactured many other kits, like Li'l Missy Beaded Dolls, MS Beaded Doll Kits, Christmas Beaded Ornaments, Ming Tree Kits, Beaded Vegetable Kits, DO-IT-YOURSELF Beaded Fruit, and Easter Egg Ornament Kits.

Some time around 1976, the Walco Beaded Company changed hands to the Holiday Company. (Below is an incomplete listing of the kits)

1930's craft kits

1949 Sequin Craft

1942 Tile-Craft mats Walco Bead-Crafts Booklet No 10, Tile-Craft is rapidly capturing the fancy of the home and school craft lovers. Beads and craft cord to make coasters,trivets and baskets.

1950s Bead Embroidery Kits

Li'l Missy Beaded Dolls

These Dolls measured 6" tall.

Li'l Missy Beaded Dolls

MS…Beaded Doll Kits

These dolls measured 10.5" tall.

Photos of actual dolls on original MS. TONI doll kit box from Walco, manufacturer.

Christmas beaded ornaments and decorations

3489 Grandfather Clock

Ming Tree Kits

Beaded Vegetable Kits

DO-IT-YOURSELF Beaded Fruit

Easter Egg Ornament Kit

Bead-craft books

See also

External links

Look up bead in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to beads.
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