Organizing a Bead Station

Ugh!
Christmas - I hate it, don't ask me why, just trust me on it.

So here comes New Years, and we all make resolutions and this year it was to finally find SOME way of ORGANIZING a BEAD WORK AREA!

I've looked over various storage containers, for years - I started by going to Pat Catan's and buying these craft folios (for lack of a better word) that open up with long plastic sleeves with sections in them.

This worked - OK, for a few years.

And then the beads got out of hand (imagine that)
So I had to find another way.
And I searched for a VERY long time.

So the best thing I have found is these stackable plastic containers
http://www.dhgate.com/product/multi-nail-art-craft-makeup-carry-container/141754162.html

something like this:

Not the best option, I'm not TOTALLY in love with it, but it is pretty cheap, and I can pick out a bunch of beads and supplies and take it somewhere if I want to work on stuff somewhere away from my desk, so yes - this was my decision, I'm gonna find a way to love it.

So I sorted beads forever, took apart old things I was working on that I didn't finish and threw away a whole lot of stuff (it's liberating!)

I sorted beads by COLOR, and then by size, because if you decide to organize beads by kind, you will never have enough storage space…

So then came the problem of a place to work. I had always worked on a table, but with containers everywhere, it simply wasn't a great option.

My husband bought me a beautiful writing desk that could be opened and closed - it was good, but it suffered from spills and sharp tools getting caught and/or scratching the beautiful cherry wood surface.

I was on the verge of giving up.

And then we happened across a basic 2x4 built 72-inch long work bench from - of all places - home depot.

BINGO!

So I bought it with my Christmas money.

Oh Glorious Heaven!

I know! It's sooo basic - isn't it???

But it gave me 72-inches of glorious working space!

and the shelf on the bottom allows me to store all my necessary containers.

Beautiful.

All that I am missing is a tall chair - but soon to come, I promise.

Now that I have a designated workspace, and containers to store the million beads that I have I took a tea box (you know, you store the fancy tea bags in it - makes you look all sophisticated in front of your guests?) and I simply stood all my tools up on the bottom, the separations in it made this surprisingly easy, and it looks nice on the bench.

Next, I took about 5 to 6 pieces of felt and taped them at the back to make a bead mat…..because "real" bead mats are expensive at $5 to $6 EACH and they get dirty, so screw that. I use 6 pieces of 25 CENT felt pieces. I won't feel at all bad when I toss it, seriously!

So - working storage?

Working storage is where you put all the beads you are working with, because keeping them on the desk - all OVER the desk is no way to work. So I got this brainy idea:

I bought about 10 of these, and I simply put beads that I "intend" to refile at a later time in them. I have about 6 large ones, and 6 small ones (OK, I had two at home doing nothing - so the actually total is 12)

And this is working really well.

I found a nice leather box for putting all my wire spools into, along with the jigs, and I have a little laundry cart made of plastic coated steel to put "odds and ends" neatly organized into it - stuff I grab a lot but don't have a specific place for.

So what to do with all the OTHER odds and ends:

• specialty papers

• scissors, brushes, box cutter knives, rolls of tape

• found objects - LOTS of found objects

• extension cords, large stapler,

• glue, adhesives

and so on?

Well a nice tabouret works well for this:

I have two of these - the one I am using for the beading supplies is tall and white and PERFECT for the odds and ends. I got it from Improvements Catalog. It's worth the money.

So now?

Now I have a work space:

It's near perfect.

If it only came with someone willing to further organize the bead room craziness, I would be one very happy person - but alas, some things I am destined to have to do myself.

This was a great idea - I have real room to work, an easy way to put things away, basically - a place for everything.

Since I now only get a few moments here and there to work, I think this will be great - if I can keep it organized, I don't have to dig through anything and stealing 1/2 hour to play with ideas is just a really, really happy thing.