Hey y'all! Jaz here! In this blog post, I'll be laying out the pros and cons of various storage methods used by fuse bead artists. How you store your beads is an important decision, and there are a lot of factors to consider! For example:
How much space do you have for storage?
Do you need a portable option?
Do you plan to collect all the colors?
What's your budget?
With that in mind, let's go more in depth on the pros and cons of each method, so that you can determine which one works best for your needs!
Recommended for: Portable Beaders
Pros:
Space efficient - multiple colors can be stored in one container
Allows you to easily and safely transport trays to project area
Colors can be sorted into a custom gradient
Easy to add more colors as your palette expands
Cons:
Rearranging colors is time consuming, as you have to scoop all the beads out of each compartment
Beads can accidentally get mixed together
Each compartment can only hold a limited number of beads
If the tray is knocked or tipped over, all of the beads can spill out
Limited amount of compartments
Recommended for: Organized Beaders
Pros:
Colors can be sorted into a custom gradient
Easy to find colors
Labeled colors & codes on each drawer
Easiest to pull out project colors
Can hold a large amount of colors
Room for expansion
Multiple models exist with different features, such as the ability to stack, larger drawers, and wall-mount
Cons:
Limited space per drawer
Drawers can tip over and spill
Expensive
Not portable
Adding new colors may require rearrangement of other colors
Recommended for: Beginner Beaders
Pros:
Can hold a large amount of beads
Easy to refill
Most affordable storage option
Space efficient
Cons:
Hard to permanently and legibly label
Prone to becoming disorganized
Must open each bag individually
Not environmentally friendly
Recommended for: Professional Beaders
Pros:
Simple to refill
Easy to find colors
Store multiple bags per peg
Effective for tracking inventory
Aesthetically pleasing
Space efficient
Cons:
Requires intact bags with hang tags
Need separate containers to bead from
Requires some assembly, hardware and research
Can be expensive
Recommended for: Bulk Beaders
Pros:
Beads can kept in original packaging
Can be easily organized
Best option for bulk overstock storage
Easy to add more colors as your palette grows
Cons:
Can become disorganized
Difficult to keep track of inventory
May need to use another container to bead from
Recommended for: Versatile Beaders
Pros:
Snap containers securely hold beads
Able to hold large quantities of beads
Easy to stack, organize & label
No need for separate beading containers
See-through materials makes it easy to see color option
Portable
Cons:
Need a lot of containers
Can get expensive to purchase more as your color palette grows
Re-stacking can take time and makes organization difficult
Recommended for: Budget Beaders
Pros:
Upcycling is environmentally friendly
See-through materials makes it easy to see color options
Can be displayed anywhere
Depending on container, can stack for easy selection
Very inexpensive
Portable
Cons:
Glass or thin plastic can crack
Inconsistency between containers
May need to use another container to bead from
Thanks for reading! I hope that this post has helped you decide which fuse bead storage method is best for your "Bead Needs"!
1 comment
Another good idea for storage is recycling those fancy packs of gum that come with a pop-off lids. All you need to do is wash out all the dust that came with the gum and let them dry overnight. The only downside is that, depending on the shape of the container, it may not fit well in storage.