Organizing Beads

by Luann Udell
(Keene, NH)

It helps to organize beads by how you design. I tend to look for color first, then size and shape. But yeah, that works until you have (let me go count) (Okay, I'm back, but I'm too embarrassed to share that very big number with you.) :^D

Whatever you use, make sure it's EASY TO SEE INTO so you spot it quickly, or LABEL CLEARLY.

Even so, I still lose things regularly, and I'm constantly rediscovering them months later. (It's like Christmas, over and over and over....)

I use:


1) Those organizer drawer units (Photo 1, above), which you can get at Sears, Walmart, almost any hardware store.

They hold a ton of stuff, and you can quickly see what's in each drawer. (I have a LOT of these.)


2) Those so-called floss organizers (Photo 2, above). The more clear, the better. The cheapest ones I've found are by Darice, at Joanne Fabric.

I hate the ones with movable dividers, they're always falling out and the beads intermix.


3) Old hay rakes (Photo 3, above). They're pretty common here in NH, and they're usually pretty cheap - $18-$24 for ones in excellent condition.

They hold a lot of bead STRANDS (stand the rakes up in an umbrella stand or attach them to a wall with a cable tie or something) and they are excellent for holding strands of beads you don't mind having out.

Mine hold my strands of antique glass trade beads, recycled glass beads from Indonesia, and vintage/antique necklaces. They'll hold a TON of bead strands!


4) I do love my printers' type tray drawer chests, though I tend to use them more for display of my rare / vintage / collectible beads:



The chests can be really expensive, but the individual drawers you can find at junk shops & antique stores ARE really cool, and you can simply stack them. They run about $15-$25 here in NH:



As you go, you'll experiment and discover what works for you and what doesn't.

Maybe you can set up multiple projects in small, shallow trays or boxes, all at once, so you're ready to go when you get time to design. (I tend to accidentally tilt those beading trays, and then instead of messy bead piles on the table, I have a jillion teeny tiny beads all over the floor.)

Also, some of us have to be organized to work, others work in chaos. (Guess which one I am?)

I say I like to be organized, but truth is, once things are all neatened up, it stops me from working - I don't want to mess things up again! I know the mess I work in would drive some people nuts.

You can save a lot of time by being organized, but you can also SPEND a lot of time staying organized.

There really is no right or wrong way to operate, just what works best for YOU.

Hope this helps,

Luann Udell
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