Each bead is completely unique and handmade from locally sourced recycled paper. Our members use brightly colored paper from pamphlets, old calendars, posters and extra runs from local printers. The color of the paper determines the vibrant hues of the beads. Our beads come in both variegated and solid colors. The term "variegated" refers to beads that are multicolored and look slightly striped.

All of our paper beads have been treated with our eco-friendly, odorless and acrylic-based sealant. We worked with a chemist in Uganda to develop this sealant and it is currently being produced locally in Kampala. Over time, the sealant on your beads may change from a shiny finish to a matte finish. This is a normal process and will not damage your beads.

A BeadforLife member can typically make about 50 long necklaces in two weeks. During the first five days, all of the beads are cut, rolled and glued. They are then coated with three to five layers of our eco-friendly sealant and hung in the sunshine to dry. The final step is to assemble the beads into the necklaces using thin fishing line, glass seed beads and a claspl.

Because our beads are made from paper they are somewhat delicate. To preserve the beauty of your BeadforLife jewelry we recommend that you store your items out of direct sunlight either hanging or laid flat. In addition, we do not recommend exposing your beads to moisture for extended periods of time.

During the shipping process our BeadforLife Necklaces can become slightly bent or stiff. If you notice your necklace is not lying flat, gently massage the string back into place by pulling lightly along the entire length of the necklace until the kink is worked out.

All of our shea products are made with 100% natural East African Shea Butter from Northern Uganda. Our BeadforLife Shea Soap is handmade in Kampala, Uganda. All additional shea products are formulated using our shea butter and produced in the United States.

BeadforLife is unique because of our commitment to finding sustainable solutions for our members to leave poverty behind forever. We not only pay fair trade wages but run extensive programs focused on education, business training, sustainable housing, healthcare and more. For that reason, it's important to know that your item is authentic BeadforLife. All of our jewelry products are finished with our signature stainless steel tag and all of our shea and tailored products are labeled with the BeadforLife logo.

1. On the store home page, you will see a menu along the top of the page listing the different products we offer. Clicking on the item name will bring you to a more detailed product page.
2. You will have options to select the style, the quantity, and color of the items you would like to purchase.
3. When you are ready, you can add the item to your shopping cart by clicking the "Add to shopping cart" button.
4. From there you can continue shopping or check out.
5. When you are finished shopping click the "Check Out" button and follow the steps that appear on the screen.

Please note that all sales are final. Make sure you look over your order carefully before entering your payment information. With that said, we do have a very generous return/exchange policy (see Exchanges & Returns).

Yes! We offer phone and mail order options. If you would like to place your order over the phone, please call us at 303-554-5901 or toll-free at 888-339-5901 and we would be happy to take your order. If you would like to place a mail order please click here for instructions. If you are in the Boulder area, please feel free to come browse our Studio as well! Phone order and studio hours can be found here.

• Yes, you can.
• When you go to check out, make sure your billing address is the address associated with your credit card.
• You will then be given the option to use your billing address as the shipping address or to enter an alternative address where you would like the package shipped.

We accept Visa, American Express, Matercard, Discover and PayPal.

1. To place an order using PayPal, you must have an existing PayPal account or be willing to create one as you check out.
2. When you are checking out, you will be asked how you would like to pay for your order.
3. Select "PayPal" and then click on "Continue Checkout."
4. You will have a chance to review your order.
5. Then, click on the "Pay Now" button which will take you to a PayPal window.
6. VERY IMPORTANT: You have to log in and authorize payment immediately, or your order will be lost.

At this time, sales tax is only added to orders shipped to a Colorado address.

Your order on our webstore is not tax deductible because your are purchasing a product from us. Donations to BeadforLife in which you do not receive a product in exchange for payment are tax deductible.

All of our Shipping Rates are calculated based on the weight of the items you are purchasing and the distance the package must travel to reach its destination. You can receive a quote by placing items in your cart and entering your shipping zip code.

All standard USPS orders are shipped within 5 business days from the date the order is placed. Once shipped, domestic packages should arrive within 1 to 5 business days and international packages should arrive within 6 to 10 business days.

All Two Day and Overnight UPS orders that are placed before 10am Mountain Standard Time will be shipped the same day they are ordered. All orders placed after 10am will be shipped the following day.

For orders within the US, Click here to view a map of your estimated delivery time once your package has been shipped.

All charges are in US Dollars.

• Holiday Deadlines for orders being shipped within the US (to arrive on or by Dec 24th)
• USPS: December 17, 2012
• UPS Three Day: (1:00 pm Mountain Standard Time) December 19, 2012
• UPS Two Day: (1:00 pm Mountain Standard Time) December 20, 2012
• UPS Overnight: (1:00 pm Mountain Standard Time) December 21, 2012
• Holiday Deadlines for orders being shipped to Canada and Europe
• USPS: December 3, 2012
• Holiday Deadlines for all other International Locations
• USPS: December 3, 2012
The above dates also apply to phone and mail orders.

BeadforLife proudly stands behinds the products that we sell. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your order, you may return your items for an exchange or for a refund within 30 days of the shipping date. Please note that any costs incurred by BeadforLife to ship your original order will be deducted from the refund amount.

To return or exchange your item(s) please mail them to the address below along with a detailed note explaining exactly how you would like us to process your exchange or return. We ship our exchanges through USPS first class mail. Please allow 7-10 days for returns/exchanges to be processed.

BeadforLife Exchanges
2336 Canyon Blvd Suite 202
Boulder CO 80302

All of our items are made and assembled by our beaders in Uganda. For that reason we are not able to custom order or alter our items.

If your item breaks, send the broken item back to us as an exchange (see instructions above). Because all of our items are hand made from recycled paper, each item is unique. We will do our best to find a replacement that matches the original item as closely as possible. We are not able to repair broken jewelry at this time.

1. To create a new account on our site, click on My Account.
2. Under New Customer SignUp on the left, click Signup.
3. There you will be able to save all of your new Account Information

1. In order to update your contact and Billing Information click on My Account and log in
2. You will be taken to a page which summarizes your account information and where you can change your information.

1. Click on My Account. Log In. Then click on My Order History.
2. To Track your order or check the status of your order click on the order number

1. If you have forgotten your password, go to My Account and click on Forgot Password.
2. Enter the email address associated with your account and your password will be emailed to you.

Your claim code is the 32 digit number that looks like this: B1AE8D21-269D-484F-9753-23F7C16PB3CX
If you received your gift certificate via email, it is helpful to copy the number electronically and paste it into the appropriate section during the check out process.

To redeem your gift certificate, select your items, go to the shopping cart and enter the claim code where it says "Have any gift certificates or promotional claim codes."

Important: If you were issued a paper gift certificate from our previous web store, please enter GC before the 4 digit number (if your gift certificate number is 1558 please enter GC1558)

Note: Gift Certificates can only be redeemed once and will expire 24 months after they are issued.

To order a gift certificate, click on the Gift Cards Link at the bottom of our site. There, you have the option to purchase a paper gift certificate which will be sent via snail mail to your Ship To address, or an electronic gift certificate which will be emailed directly to the recipient whose email address you will provide.

• Shipping online at our store is very safe. We use industry standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) software that encrypts all of the data sent to us so that only your web browser and the server of our web site can decipher it.

• The BeadforLife Store is committed to protecting your privacy.
• We will not sell or disclose any information that identifies you to a third party.
• The BeadforLife Store does not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others.

• In support of our BeadforLife mission and to insure that those who purchase our items understand the role they are playing in eradicating extreme poverty, we ask that the items purchased on our website be used solely for personal use or for incorporation into your own creations that may later be sold.
• Please do not resell our items in their original form for gain to someone other than BeadforLife.

• For office hours please go to Contact Us
• Email us at weborders@beadforlife.org or call us at 303-554-5901 (Toll-free: 888-339-5901).
• Physical Address for Returns/Exchanges/Communications:
  BeadforLife
  2336 Canyon Blvd., STE 202
  Boulder, CO 80302
• Feel free to email us to share your thoughts on our organization, our products or our website. All comments are welcome and we will respond to you as soon as possible.