How do you organize your beads?

Question

Does anybody have any good organizing tips?

This is probably overkill, and I'd have to look at one in person, but we got a Harbor Freight catalog the other day, and I keep looking at those huge tool chests. You know the ones on wheels with tons of drawers? I'm just thinking, "Wow, that would hold a lot of beads!"

And I'm sure my hubby would LOVE me making that part of the bedroom decor. It's bad enough that I have a desk with all my jewerly stuff in there and it's messy 90% of the time. (Creative mess, you know.)

Today, hubby brought home one of those hanging jewelry bags that has 90 compartments. He thought I might want to try this because it can hold a lot and I can see everything.

I'd love to hear some other ideas before I ask for a huge tool chest for my b.day or something!

Barbara Forbes-Lyons · Accepted Answer

You've seen this, but I'll post it for the group:  Barbara Beader and Polymer Clay Junky  and  There is a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness. (Dave Barry) Need quality, inexpensive web hosting with site builder and 50 apps? Check out   Beadbimbo wrote:

Sandy · Answer

Lurker de-lurking - Jerri, these people had some displays at the Best Bead  Show in Tucson last week and they looked pretty good.  I think there's an ad  in Bead & Button for them, too.

Beadbimbo · Answer

Oh, wow.  If there's a $661 unit for scrap booking, I don't feel bad for  admiring the rolling toolchests!

Beadbimbo · Answer

Thanks, Barb!

Dr. Sooz · Answer

Jerri -- That's actually a really good idea.  And you can spray paint 'em with Rustoleum to match your bedroom's decor.  Plus you can line some drawers with silver cloth! ``````````````````````````````````` Beadbimbo wrote:

Beadbimbo · Answer

I've seen them a million times, walking through Home Depot or something but have never really looked at one. Looking in the catalog, they just look so cool. All that space!

And I was sitting here thinking that we never use our bath tub because we have a separate shower. I've probably taken 3-4 baths in there over the past 12 years. Lol. I'd love to get rid of the tub and have that space! Oh yeah, hubby's going to go for that.

Beckibead · Answer

The Dr. (Sooz) actually has the best bead storage I have seen yet. She has map or architectural cabinets, with the shallow drawers, and within them plastic containers of sorted beads. The beads are sorted by color within an inch of their lives, LOL -- i.e. dark green, medium green, light green, etc. You can find anything in there and find it quickly. I really love it.

Becki

crusty521 · Answer

I use piles, ziplocs and jars to sort by primaryish colours. My greenish pile is my fave.

Deci · Answer

Fire Mountain Gems has a great affordable system called Need a Bead now, crusty521 wrote:

Vibrant Jewels · Answer

Maybe you should just dump them in the bathtub, then they'd be altogether and easy to access! LOL

No kidding, a local fabric/craft store in an old schoolhouse - really cool to treasure hunt in - has an old clawfoot bathtub full of buttons in one of the showrooms - it is so much fun to play around in it!

Seriously, about 75% my beads are so organized I have no idea what I have anymore - and the rest have escaped and are running around everywhere. Then somehow all the other stuff I was trying to organize buried the other stuff I was trying to organize - chaos doesn't begin to describe it.

Sigh....

Kandice Seeber · Answer

Sooz has a freaking bead store in her house.  I'm SO jealous!

How do you organize your beads?

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