Organizing Your Beading Supplies

Organization Tips

Beads and Baubles - Getting Organized

The last thing any of us wants is a big mess of beads stored in an old shoebox.

Sorting through to pick out the beads you want for a project can be a daunting and exhausting task.

By keeping our supplies neatly organized, projects will move along smoothly, and they’ll be a lot more fun! After all, who wants to spend hours looking for one, tiny, particular bead?

Organize by Color

Grouping beads by color is a useful and efficient way to ensure that you’ll be able to find the beads you want when you want them. This is an especially functional organizing method for beads that were either purchased loose or leftover from a project.

Start by grouping your beads by basic colors: black, brown, white, red, yellow, blue, purple, orange, and green. If you have enough beads to open up a small shop, consider breaking down the color groups further: pink, gold, light blue, turquoise, lavender, pale green.

On Display

Old food containers such as baby food or spice jars are ideal for storing tiny seed beads. Larger containers such as butter tubs and sauce jars are perfect for large, chunky beads.

Put your supplies on display by tying pretty ribbons around jar lids and placing them on shelves in your work space.

Larger beads look lovely in a tall, clear jars or small glass vase set casually on your worktable.

Shop around antique stores for pretty pill boxes, or ornate cosmetic jars, which make for lovely and useful decorative storage containers.

Put Away

If you prefer your materials out of sight, consider using a wooden jewelry box or standing accessories dresser for your supply stash.

Clear jars and boxes work wonderfully in drawers and cabinets. Junk stores often carry old apothecary tables, which sport numerous tiny drawers originally used for storing herbs and medicines.

These tables are fantastic for keeping your tools in order and at hand.

On the Go

Whether you prefer to store your materials in a convenient carry-case, or just like to have something on hand for when you’ll be crafting outside your home, there are plenty of travel options for your beadwork.

Tackle boxes come in a wide range of sizes, and often have plenty of slots for small trappings, ideal for stashing all your supplies.

Small trunks and chests with handles can be found with drawers and trays, which make organizing and toting a snap.

And a traditional basket is a great way to carry around all those jars and boxes you’ve stored so beautifully on the shelves in your workspace!