When I was looking for a good storage solution for my beading supplies, I searched through a lot of options. I wanted something that would hold a variety of items and keep it organized. I ended up using containers designed for beads and containers meant to hold fishing flies. There are plastic boxes and watchmakers tins. Here’s a look around my beading stash.

The image shows several small round tin containers with clear lids. the containers have an assortment of beads inside.
These are watchmakers tin containers.
The image shows a large storage case with several smaller cases inside.
The large case

The main storage container is a large storage bin that holds several plastic trays (commonly called Plano boxes after the well know brand) in a rack system. It has a large upper area that holds larger boxes. The inner trays have dividers in them to help keep things organized.

The case is small enough that I can easily carry to a different room if I want to work somewhere else in the house.

Each of the smaller cases hold a variety of items, organized by type, such as cords, wire, elastic and clasps.

The image shows a number of spools of wire and cords in a plastic container with dividers.
One of the containers

Individual beads

To organized the individual types of beads, I had to take into account the quantity of beads (or other small items) to be stored. I also needed to look at the size of the beads. The watchmakers tins come in come in several sizes. The smaller ones, like those at the top of this post, come in metal boxes. The clear lids make it easy to see what is in the containers. The larger ones can hold bigger beads and more of them.

Image shows several metal containers of beads, some with lids on and some with lids off. The beads are sorted by color.
These tins hold some of my larger beads.

For the very smallest beads, I needed to come up with something that would contain the beads and not open easily. I didn’t want to be losing tiny beads everywhere. I chose some boxes designed for fishing flies. Each inner compartment has a spring clasp to keep the lid closed.

Here are the boxes open closed and open.

I used a label maker for the outside of the boxes. The sheet on the inside has the name of the bead, so if I need to get more, I know what to order. I have four of these containers, organized by color.

Of course, I ended up with more beads than would nicely fit in this system, but found a simple solution for the rest. It reminds me of a pill minder.

This container holds the beads that don’t fit in to other storage.

In another post, I will talk about the tools I use when working on beads. You can see my traveling beading kit in this post.

Beading sources

My favorite online beading company is Fire Mountain Gems. They have a wide assortment on items and tools they sell, and also the excellent tutorials. Another good online company is Antelope Beads. I have no affiliation with these companies, but am just a satisfied customer.

Local shops are going to vary from place to place, but are worth a look. Many offer classes.