How do you store your beads?

[Mstar]

I have a relative who works at the shipyard and he started collecting the containers that electrical tape came in. They are about 3.5" wide an 1" deep and are clear plastic. I can store about 12 or them in a plastic shoe container. They were free as the guys were tossing them by the boxful. What is really neat too is that you can use the lids to hold small amounts of beads for beading projects.

I also store my hanks in fishing tackle boxes. The clear plastic ones with adjustable dividers. They work great for me and I can stack them.

[Chelseyrosebutterfly]

Yeah my mom bought an case so know she keeps her small beads in. She got in Rocky Boys walmart. She bought two of them and they keep her beads separated and not mixing.

[Eagle Plumes]

I use medicine bottles, because my kiddo's cant open them and spill them every where, there was one time one of them got it open but they really had to work at it, but when they get bigger im thinking on storing them in little containers with lids and labling them.

[Migiziwomen]

you know what works the best for me if you can get them.
those little one ounce plastice to go cp with lids made by solo.
they stack great in my shelf and the lid works wonderfuly just put a few beads on the lid and they pop right on my needle.

[[email protected]]

Lol my mom keeps her beads in medicine bottles!!! Lol that really happened to you? Thats how my moms bead are they surpose to look dark blue but there light blue. She keeps them in baby food jars. She keeps them in her rolaid and they spell minty lol!!!

I still keepthem in the little cabinets you get at Canadian Tire that have little drawers that can be pulled right out, not mixng of beads or spilling.

[Chelseyrosebutterfly]

I use the baby food jars too, as well as old pill bottles (WASH THEM FIRST, lol, or you'll end up like a 14yr old me - pink beads all white from old tylenols, LOL!)
And I use the tupperware in the exact way as BlackBear, cool huh.

Lol my mom keeps her beads in medicine bottles!!! Lol that really happened to you? Thats how my moms bead are they surpose to look dark blue but there light blue. She keeps them in baby food jars. She keeps them in her rolaid and they spell minty lol!!!

[[email protected]]

Yep, those circular screw jars are TERRIBLE!! I didn't think about saving my IceBreaker containers! Think I'll buy a bunch and label them.

I'm so excited cuz I might be getting my own place here on campus. I have 2 little dressers that I kept all my beads and other supplies in and I'll finally be able to break them out of storage.

I have been looking for containers for my beads for when I travel cross country......the Wal-mart containers are good for home, with the clear drawers. So I just use my small jars and put them in those cookie conatiners, works for me. Thought those screw jars were fantasic for awhile also, what a mess, when a couple broke while travelilng.

[wyo_rose]

Yep, those circular screw jars are TERRIBLE!! I didn't think about saving my IceBreaker containers! Think I'll buy a bunch and label them.

I'm so excited cuz I might be getting my own place here on campus. I have 2 little dressers that I kept all my beads and other supplies in and I'll finally be able to break them out of storage.

[NancyJo]

I've bought those same circular jars at Walmart.........and the threads on them are horrible!!! I was thinking it would be better if they each had their own lid. Like Blackbear said they'll pop open at the most inopportune time and you've got beads everywhere.
But I did find some small plastic jars in the travel gadget section of the makeup department. Over where the toothbrush holders and plastic shampoo bottles are for traveling. They are plastic and just a little bigger than those circular jars back in the craft area, but each jar has it's own lid and they screw on and stay on a heck of a lot better. I've been using those for a couple of years now. They hold about 2-3 hanks.
Just saw some bead holders in a crochet craft catalog that come 8 containers that fit into a simi-circle holder that look pretty good........each has it's own lid, but probably only will hold about 1 hank at a time. Once I get home and find the catalog I'll post it and you can take a look at it and see what you think.
To hold all my beads I use one of those plastic tool chest boxes from Walmart. I got one each for my size 11's, 12's and 13's. Works pretty good.

[Blackbear]

I was in a give-away line a few years ago and got the coolest thing ever.... was a circular storage thing (please excuse my technical terms... lol) that had like 5 sections that screwed together and apart... then I wished I could figure out where they got that after I got home. Was shopping at Wally World a few weeks later and was looking in the fabric/craft section... and low and behold... there they were!!!
They have skinny ones and bigger ones, and all I have to do is just unscrew what color I need and screw it back when I'm done... lord knows I'm a well known bead dumper from wayyyyback. I also like that they are interchangeable, so I can put a bunch of them together if I need a lot of colors on a specific project.
If you haven't seen these things yet, check them out, I like them a lot.

Yeah those are great until:

1) the threading wears out and they no longer screw together tight enough. This happens rather quickly too.
2) try to transport them anywhere and they pop open and next thing you know you've got tons of beads EVERYWHERE all mixed up.

Many of us veteran beaders have made this mistake before and no longer use those containers for those two reasons alone. But after the threading goes out and you find something better to store your beads in, those sections are great for holding small quantities of the colors you are using in a project to bead directly from.

[Emmy]

for my kilos i use the big clear peanut butter containers, they screw closed and have a deep enough top i can bead from. if i dont have enough 4 use the ziplock boxes then when i get done i just wash um and put my leftovers in them :)

[RedShield]

I was in a give-away line a few years ago and got the coolest thing ever.... was a circular storage thing (please excuse my technical terms... lol) that had like 5 sections that screwed together and apart... then I wished I could figure out where they got that after I got home. Was shopping at Wally World a few weeks later and was looking in the fabric/craft section... and low and behold... there they were!!!
They have skinny ones and bigger ones, and all I have to do is just unscrew what color I need and screw it back when I'm done... lord knows I'm a well known bead dumper from wayyyyback. I also like that they are interchangeable, so I can put a bunch of them together if I need a lot of colors on a specific project.
If you haven't seen these things yet, check them out, I like them a lot.

[cbeady]

Ice Breaker sours

I bought one of those storage containers with clear drawers at wal-mart. They come in all sizes. Mine is pretty tall with four smaller drawers on top and two larger ones on bottom. The larger ones are perfect for holding my misc. supplies and leather. Sometimes they can be hard to find, but keep your eye out and one will surely pop up. I paid about $20.00. Plus they got wheels so you can roll it around. I line mine with felt and it keeps the beads in place. I use the average craft box for travelling and to hold the current project I'm working on. I have all kinds of sizes and shapes of those. For those long trips I found one two-level bead box at JoAnns fabric. The bottom level has larger compartments to hold small scissors, thread, bone pipes, earring stuff etc. etc. The second compartment is seperate and is removable and is especially designed to hold bead hanks. I think it can house about 20-30 hanks. It has a handle so it is designed for you travel with. This one cost about 20-25 dollars. I can't remember.

But my latest discovery are the Ice Breaker Sours containers. You can find these at the checkout lines at wal-mart and target.
They come in two flavors ayyyeee... I use them for those times when you have to put your beads away mid-project. Plus they can hold about two full hanks of beads. They are perfect. They have two pop up openings. A larger side for dumping them in and a smaller side for shaking them back out. They are flatter and more conveniant to carry than jars. Plus you have all the fun of eating the candies guilt free cause they are sugar free!

[[email protected]]

I use different things...I use those medical containers too, but of course NOT USED lol, someone asked me how I cleaned them before, um gross...I used to take them from my grandfather's office haha, and I use babyfood jars. Used to use those plastic boxes with the dividers, but the beads always shifted around in there, over the top somehow. When I'm beading I always pour my beads into those chinese tea cups, like the ones with no handles, or for small amounts of beads, I use those little tiny sake cups my husband got with this set when he was in Japan. I always take my beads off of the hank, it just gets on my nerves on the hank. I don't know how y'all bead off the hank. Once I tried it, and I guess it was too loose, so they alll fell off, and once it was too tight or something so it wouldn't come off...so I just always take them off.

I still like the containers with the drawers, `cause you can just take them out , use what you need and put them back. No hassle, so spilling or mixing of beads. I see you are from New Brunswick, I am from Ontario. Have yourself a fantastic day........

[~*~MizzQaqimat~*~]

I use different things...I use those medical containers too, but of course NOT USED lol, someone asked me how I cleaned them before, um gross...I used to take them from my grandfather's office haha, and I use babyfood jars. Used to use those plastic boxes with the dividers, but the beads always shifted around in there, over the top somehow. When I'm beading I always pour my beads into those chinese tea cups, like the ones with no handles, or for small amounts of beads, I use those little tiny sake cups my husband got with this set when he was in Japan. I always take my beads off of the hank, it just gets on my nerves on the hank. I don't know how y'all bead off the hank. Once I tried it, and I guess it was too loose, so they alll fell off, and once it was too tight or something so it wouldn't come off...so I just always take them off.