I just moved and for the first time have a proper studio in my house! Well, okay, it is a spare bedroom that I get to call mine. Nonetheless, it has great closets, great light, and wonderful space. Now how in the world do I get organized? I have been living out of tackle boxes and hardware bins so long, I want something more functional and frankly more attractive to hold my treasures in.
Here are a few things I found lying around the house that I am currently employing as bead displays and organizers:
- I go through tons of head pins, so I cleaned out old votive candle holders and filled them with different lengths and gauges of head pins. They fit perfectly! I wouldn’t recommend this for infrequent users , as the metal could tarnish being exposed to air.
- I have two cool olive dishes that I use about twice a year for parties, now they are my focal bead holders! I put all my best and most inspirational pieces in there, right in the middle of my table!
- One of my favorite new tricks is a dowel that hangs right over my table with all of my ribbon and jewelry wire on it. If I need a piece I just reach up and snip it. The spools are secure and out of the way, and being at eye level, I am really aware when I am running low on something!
- Drawers! I found a lingerie chest at a yard sale for just a few dollars, painted it funky colors and I store all of my bead strands where they are laid out neatly and I can see them! I found when I shoved them into the hardware-style bins, things would get lost or forgotten. Now I have a gem drawer, a pearl drawer, a silk ribbon drawer, it is wonderful!
Despite my couple of flashes of brilliance in design, I am still really lacking in ideas for organization. I would love to reach out to the Artbeads.com community and see if anyone out there can help! Post comments about your favorite organization secrets. I could sure use them!
Rebecca Gilbert, Vice President of Product Marketing
6 responses so far ↓
1 Kayci // Feb 5, 2009 at 9:34 am
I keep my beads in the small plastic zippered bags they arrive in, or transfer them into one. I use the ‘hardware’ organizer with 16 small drawers/bins to sort the bags. The drawers are labeled with what’s inside; “Clear Swarovski”, “Pearls”, “Findings”, “wire”, Sterling findings”, etc. This makes it easy to find what I need in a hurry. I take out the bags I want to use and put them on my bead board. I take out what I need as I need it and that way I can take a project with me anywhere I go without worrying about losing any pieces.
2 Kayci // Feb 5, 2009 at 9:38 am
I should have mentioned that I have two small children, so I can’t leave stuff out in my studio. I do, however, display my finished pieces! I use cake plates, dress forms, frames… you name it.
3 Cynthia // Feb 5, 2009 at 11:52 am
I picked up this tip from a website – and it’s really helped me. I have sorted all my beads by color. I used to throw them into bins, in the bags they came home in, as I aquired them. But I have to say, storing the beads by color really helps when I’m designing something. If I’m looking for a blue bead, I go to the blue bead bin, instead of looking through all of them, trying to remember when I bought it. It’s working really well for me. I store everything in clear plastis shoeboxes. That way, I can see at a glance the colors. My only exception is that I keep my pearls and Mother of Pearl in separate bins. I like to use MOP by itself. Happy Beading!!!
4 MICHELE // Apr 13, 2009 at 11:43 am
All the girls at Artbeads ROCK ….That’s why I keep coming back. Customer service is awesome.
5 VAharoni // Aug 29, 2009 at 10:17 am
hmmmm…..organization?
That only works if you remain with your space!
I moved last March. My new studio is the largest room in the apartment. Originally meant for use as a formal living room. Has beautiful hardwood floors and 3 magnificient windows opening to a porch/veranda with plenty of discrete foliage.
Can’t see the floors anymore! My problem, as I see it, is the studio is also my office. My polymer clay and beading supplies are comfortably housed where ever they will fit. It is the pc that consumes so much space.
Bead supplies are in clear shoe boxes and a clear 9 drawer storage bin on wheels. When I’m working, everything seems to be open and all over the floor and all three conference tables!
I like things easy to see and easy to reach. I also like neat. Some how I never seem to get it all!
Valerie
6 Diana // Oct 28, 2009 at 11:42 am
I’m a beginner and wasn’t sure what I wanted and needed. After watching a couple of the instructional videos, I knew what I wanted. Then it was easy to find and order the things I would need. Artbeads has everything a ‘newbie’ could want, including tips and instructiions. The website is laid out is a logical way and is easy to navigate.
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