What do you store your beads in?

[Megan]

I have quite a bit of beads that are sitting around waiting to be sold.. I am having trouble figuring out what to use to keep them safe yet easily accessible while they are in bead purgatory..

What do you all store them in? Focals are easy but wired/strung bead sets, especially larger sets, are getting out of hand.

[Cosmo]

I use those clear organizer boxes you get in the craft or in the fishing areas at Wal-Mart. The ones that are divided into different compartments.

[Captured Light Glass]

I use this system and it is easily accessible and easy to add on to:

http://www.bestscrapbookshelf.com/

[villa design]

I use Perzerve bags from QVC. They have 75+ pockets that can fit all sorts of beads.

[ellyloo]

I put my sets in a ziplock, punch a hole and put them on a binder ring on a hook on the wall.

[rachelle]

wow, you ladies are so organized! I'm in awe! I have "hundreds" ( well, slight exageration) of plastic icecream tubs filled with beads; I tried to sort them by colour, perhaps theme, but relly don't know what'sin the boxes! I need HELP!!!!!

[Jane P]

I don't have enough beads yet that I would want to store nicely!

[bead crazy]

I have the same system as Michelle. I got it a little cheaper from these people.
http://www.foxfactory.com/ I also found that the inserts from them will fit in the rubbermaid drawers but this is so much nicer than them and more compact.
I LOVE IT. I thought that I would fill it up and it holds a ton. I have 5 drawers left and a couple of the drawers are not even full yet.

[tammydownunder]

Originally Posted by rachelle

wow, you ladies are so organized! I'm in awe! I have "hundreds" ( well, slight exageration) of plastic icecream tubs filled with beads; I tried to sort them by colour, perhaps theme, but relly don't know what'sin the boxes! I need HELP!!!!!

Yep, I use the plastic ice cream containers too. They are easy to come by in my family and if I run out, I can always find an excuse to by Cadbury's Carmello.

[playswithfire104]

Melissa - which one do you have? I really like that idea.

[FourTailsLampwork]

I use cigar boxes. I cut out slots in the sides, cut mandrels to fit the length of the cigar box, and then I slide the beads on the mandrels with a base-metal spacer between the sets. On each end I put a clear cheap Michael's plastic earring stop. The boxes stack, and when I do a show all I have to do is open them out.

Here's a shot of the booth Frostfire and I put together for the Down The Street Bead Show this November; it shows our cigar boxes (I got the idea from her).



If you want to use cigar boxes, you can get them from a cigar store; most sell from $1-$3 each. Some stores will charge you far more--leave immediately and look around!

Frostfire favors the boxes with the removable inner rim made by four pieces of thin, rough wood. These are easy to remove--just pull out. If you like these, remove the rim on the short ends of the box. Clamp together, and saw or Dremel as many slots as you want. I find that slots spaced 1" apart work well. Replace the rim and insert mandrels--cut them to the length that they will rest on the slots you've just cut. I like the boxes that have no inner rim, but have a thicker side. You have to measure more carefully, because it's easier to get the slots unevenly spaced than it is when you cut the slots simultaneously. I use a cutting / routing wheel on my Dremel, and cut down slots in the side wall of the cigar box. I only cut down through half the wall, though, so basically I am routing a groove in one side of the box wall, while leaving the other side of the wall untouched. I think this is neater than the other method, but it's harder to manage evenly. Add mandrels as before. Customers can just lift out mandrels with bead sets, which makes the display easy to keep straight; it's easy to change beads around. To store, snap the box lids closed, and you're done.

[JavaGirlBT]

I use these:



With these inside for sets:



And these inside for focals:



I can stack three flocked trays inside each black lidded tray. Then all the black lidded trays fit into one of these carriers.

[steph1214]

Ellen, where did those come from? i like those

steph

[JavaGirlBT]

The pictures are all from www.nilecorp.com . My actual things I got here and there.

[Megan]

While I love the cigar boxes, it really wouldn't work for already strug beads..

Ellen - I use something similar for my charms.. A 10 drawer case with inserts.. I was hoping that I could find something neat and local so I wouldn't have to pay shipping but I think those might work the best.. I really like those scrapbooking type drawer units but boy are they pricey..

[LoriBird]

I use a fishing tackle box. We got it for free from Cabela's I think...signed up for a credit card. It holds 2 large 'lure' boxes and 6 small ones. Has a shoulder strap etc. I LOVE it... this isn't it..but you get the picture http://doiop.com/4np49b

[anneli]

I use the same set up as JavaGirl....works great, has a glass lid and keeps the dust out!

[Patty Lakinsmith]

Well I'm drooling over those cigar boxes - very nice! I use egg cartons, the large size (1, more recently the styrofoam ones. I feel good about recycling, and each egg section seems to hold the right number for a bracelet.

Patty

[Yellow Dog Girl]

I use the semi-disposable food storage containers, made by Ziploc (I use the ones that are about 6" x 6" x 1.5" deep). They're inexpensive, and hold up very well. There are several reasons why I've come to use these: 1) I can store 10 sets comfortably per container (I make pretty small beads) - thus inventory is a snap; 2) the lids are made so that the containers can nest - you can stack a good number without worries that they'll slide off; 3) we have a very small house, so space is at a premium. With these, I can "disassemble" the empty ones, and stack containers together and lids together in very little space, but they're instantly available when I need one again. Used one just yesterday to bring earrings to work for somebody who wanted to do some Christmas shopping. And, as a bonus, I don't have to stress about repacking the earrings - with mostly sterling silver findings - right away, because the containers are airtight, thus minimize tarnishing.

[glassymom]

I store my sets waiting to be sold in Ziplock bags (little 3x3's) and I like ellys idea to stick them on a peg hook. I absolutly LOVE your cigar boxes Mincot so I think I will try to get ahold of some!!!
This is a great thread, lots of great ideas!!!
Sue

[Beadbug]

I just got some cigar boxes and am going to work on putting the slots in them today. It is looking much harder than it sounds. I am going to run my rods top to bottom because the boxes are rectangle style and that way if you want a bead from the middle of your rod there are less beads to slide off. I will let ya know how it looks visualy. Just going to do one box this way and see if I like the looks.

[Wonker]

We use the same boxes that Cosmo uses. My wife gets them (notice the them; lord knows how many she has) from Walmart. Each of the sections will hold 4 to 6 beads pretty comfortably so she stores sets in compartments...or color groups in sections. They are pretty cheap and have see through tops so you can quickly sort through which one is needed.

[Beadbug]

I finished my Cigar box, when closed it mesures 6 1/2 inches square by an 1 1/2 inche deep. I spaced the rods at 1 inch apart and lined the bottom with some stick on black felt.




Thanks for the idea and the instructions. I have several more to make, this one is just right for travel size.

[villa design]

Originally Posted by playswithfire104

Melissa - which one do you have? I really like that idea.

I have the H51901 in black, but I also have a leopard print one. Another friend of mine has the portfolio version, but she mentions the snap pages have a tendency of un-snapping. I just use the Perzerve bags for loose beads, for jewelry I use the same kind as Ellen.

[Abacus Beads]

For Loose beads I put them on any flat serface that isn't already piled high with other stuff. For sets I string them on wire and put them in bracelet size jewelry boxes
Liz R