As Bead Love grows, so grows the beading stash – and the need for bead storage solutions. Especially if, like me, you get excited to start a new project, but can’t find what you need. “I know I have teal Delicas in here somewhere!” I had the best of intentions when I purchased storage shelves to fit an open space, but didn’t plan well beyond that. The unlabeled, mis-matched containers, bags and piles were on the shelves, but could I quickly put my hands on the beads I needed for a project? Nope.

My beads (and I) needed an organization and storage system. The solution will be slightly different for each beader. You may collect crystals that you love to work with. Your BBF (best beading friend) may adore earthy jasper gemstones. Some beaders buy with specific projects in mind, while others collect the beads and then decide what to make.

Ideal systems will have a few things in common:

Space
Stacking or hanging system
Boxes/bins that fit the space
Secure containers (ever had a loose-lid spill?)
Labels

So I claimed the dining room table (the largest horizontal surface beyond the sweep of a Labrador’s tail), measured my space and made a plan based on using my available shelf space efficiently. Your plan may look very different.

I had to mix a couple of container brands and sizes to make the best use of every cubic inch, but it was well worth the time spent on research. Find what works for you. You may find that you already have what you need and just need to arrange it differently.

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I can now see what I have where. And I sheepishly confess that when I sorted my beads by size and color, I found where I had bought extras that I didn’t need. Those teal Delicas? Yeah, got enough to last for a while.

Here’s how to organize and store your beading supplies:

Organized Beads

How to Organize and Store Beading Supplies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Find what you need for your projects when you know how to store and organize your beading supplies with a system that works best for you.

Here is my bead storage solution.

Materials

Space (shelves, closet, desk, pegboard/hooks, etc.)
Containers that fit your space (bins, boxes, baskets, baggies, etc.)
Label tape

Tools

Tape measure
Label maker
Scissors
Bead mat and scoop for organizing loose beads into baggies and containers

Instructions

Gather your beads. If you have small containers (such as tubes of seed beads) that you want to group into larger containers, measure them to help you decide what kind of storage boxes you need. My seed beads are mostly in 2 1/2 to 3-inch long tubes, so I want to find containers that will hold them. Measure your shelf space so that you can find secure containers that will fit.
Will you keep strands of beads on their stringing material or cut them apart so you can use individual beads? Do you want to keep like beads together? For example, I want all of my gemstones to be together, but I will keep some on strands and cut others apart, so I want storage containers that can do both.
When you have your measurements, find containers that will hold the beads you have in the allotted space. I decided that I needed one kind of system for my seed beads and another for gemstones, pearls, glass and crystals. Keep in mind that the storage that works best for you might be something that was designed for another purpose, so keep your mind open.

Beginning with seed beads and my 2 1/2 to 3-inch tubes, I found Iris photo storage boxes were perfect for my needs. Each box holds 2 rows of beads 2-deep. The boxes are translucent, so by looking at both sides of the box, I can see every tube. Since I can see the colors, I just labeled each box with the bead size (11C is my code for size 11 Cylinder - or Delica - beads). The latches hold well. They are great for travel or a class. The small boxes fit inside a larger labeled case that sits on the shelf. I turn the case sideways to give me more shelf space.
ArtBin Large Solutions boxes are just the right size to stack next to the seed bead boxes on my shelves. They have movable dividers to fit different quantities and sizes. I left some sections long for strands and grouped loose pearls with like colors, shapes and sizes in small zipper storage bags within sections. I can still see what is in each container when it is closed with its secure latch.
When open, the Solutions box gives me easy access to the beads I want to use.
I used the same boxes for my gemstones, labeling each cell with the type of stone (if I knew it). A few cells have question marks for labels. Sorted by color, I put smaller gemstones in baggies as I did for the loose pearls. Glass, shaped and crystal beads also were easy to sort in these containers.
Findings also fit in the Sew-lutions boxes, and I could keep the same size for stacking.
The ArtBin boxes are available in an anti-tarnish version for a bit more money, but I thought it was worth the investment for storing sterling silver findings and chain. The anti-tarnish boxes have blue dividers.
Everything fits on my existing shelves, and all containers are labeled with their contents so I can pull out just what I need. There are always a few things that don't fit, so the few odd-sized items like Soft-Flex, wire, Fireline and cutters are in the basket. And I have room to fit in a few more boxes - you never know when you are going to need more beads!