I cut an old yoga mat the width of my work table, glued on a length of measuring tape on the side closest to me. This makes is so much easier to measure the length of my wire or line. I can also easily check on my piece or size of beads. The yoga mat provides a softer surface and the measuring tape stops the beads from rolling onto my lap.

@LisaCooper-ev5zi

6 ай бұрын

That is an excellent idea .

I really appreciate that this is really about practical tips, and not only about selling particular products.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

We are so glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

I stored all my felting, clay, and beading materials in tackle boxes that hold five organization trays. Now I can take my projects with me wherever I go.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Great! One must never go without their beading supplies!! haha 😉

I have found storing strands of beads on shower curtain holders that close works well for me.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

That's a great tip!!!

I used an old forgotten picture frame for earrings and pins for years. Took the glass out then glued lace across the back, added bumpers to the corners, and hung it on the wall.

@mochabearry

Жыл бұрын

Resourceful!!

I store mine in good quality mini zip lock bags and put labels on the front. I then sort them by size and place the group in a zip lock freezer bag. They then go into labeled drawers. This takes up much less space and doesn't require that you purchase tubes of other more expensive containers.

@FireMountainGems

4 ай бұрын

Great tip!

I want to thank you for taking the time to make your teaching videos and your knowledge.😊

@FireMountainGems

3 ай бұрын

So glad we could help! 😊

I'm really enjoying these tutorials. Thank you from Oklahoma!

Another suggestion for hanging necklaces or bead hanks is a tie hanger - either one that mounts to a wall (or back of door) or one that really is a hanger with pegs coming out.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

That's a great tip! Thanks, Janet.

If your cutters dull and you're willing to spend the time, and old fashioned whetstone can help!

@valeriewestmoreland4010

Жыл бұрын

I am a beginning beader and found a KZread video on how to care for and sharpen the cutters. So, it was easy and I didn't need to spend more money. It took nicks out and sharpened at the same time.

Thank you so much for all the useful information and creative ideas!

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Storage solutions...I like the spice bottle idea. I use the Bonne Maman jam jars, and I got a chest of drawers that I'm going to put on wheels so I can move it around and work out of a drawer if I need to [keep my project in one place, but not have to put it away if I'm called away from it for a time].

I use the little mash potato containers from Kentucky fried chicken for my big beads. A great way to recycle. and I also use them to gift jewelry. Have been finding some wonderful containers in the dollar store with handles.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Great idea! We so love how creative you and others are about repurposing containers for storage and organization of beads!! Love it!

Great share! Thanks for some small simple but highly helpful tips for organising desk chaos. I am a electronics technician from Mumbai,my work shop is great 18 square feet!(🙄😃😜) and will implement your intelligent advice.Big Thank You!🌷

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

For storing beads, head/eye pins; I use 2 spinning spice racks with clear jars. You cam see everything 3asily.😊

@FireMountainGems

3 ай бұрын

Great idea!

This was so informative and helpful thanks. I learned so much and found new things I need too!

Hi Fire Mountain this video is good but I have my own idea for organizing my seed beads I keep them in there hanks and put them in clear bead storage jars and some of then I put then in small bags and put them in bead storage container you can do this with 10/0 11/0 12/0 and 13/0 sized seed beads some time I do take them off that hank and put them in the small storage bags in the container I do reuse the small plastic bags all the time

I use excel to name what I have as well as shape, size, description, and cost of per bead. Then when I make jewelry I know how much to charge.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Great tip!

@designbyandrews3191

2 жыл бұрын

I do this also. My spreadsheet also tells me when I’m running low/time to reorder.

I organize my wire by using a lazy Susan that I made with supplies from the dollar store and some doll rods and I organize every column by wire gauge

@shellishaevans5815

2 жыл бұрын

Dowel*

@shellishaevans5815

2 жыл бұрын

It won't let me include a photo or a video

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Love that idea!!

@wendyannh

2 жыл бұрын

That’s a great idea!

@shellishaevans5815

2 жыл бұрын

@@wendyannh Thanks! If you want a pic or how I did it please pm me!

I use my tiny square Cat food containers as scoop trays for little projects ❤️💋

Patty - I don't like multicompartment storage. I use empty pill bottles or small gelato containers (for larger amounts.)

Thank you for the tips. The cotton will definitely help to clean the glue!

Here is another idea for organising pliers. I have tried different types of commercially bought organisers for my pliers and never felt happy with any of them. As a result I invented my own, inexpensive organiser using a sturdy 5" H x 5" dia. plastic bucket in which I put a central canister to hold things like rulers and brushes. This gives the pliers' handles a 'stop' so that they stay put. It holds fifteen plus pliers and they don't fall off . My favourite pliers are at the front and the less used ones at the back. It works brilliantly and doesn't take up much space.

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

What a great idea! Thanks for watching!

I loved this video. Thank you so much

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

Thank you. Great ideas to share. Learning new things .

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Great ideas. I make jewelry in my bedroom which is really small & has a few dressers in it. I don't need all the drawers for clothes so I put my jewelry & crafting stuff in them. I also have an eclipse gum container for loose beads.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

That's a great idea! Thanks for watching, Becky!

@mouseboots46

2 жыл бұрын

Too much talk! I saw a red thing: wanted to see it.

I love the red piler rack that would be right up my alley!

I just saw this video. It’s really great!! I looked for the comment about storing with chalk hoping she expanded on it but could not find it.

Thank you for the video!!!

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

I keep my pliers hanging on the lip of a coffe cup. I sort my beads by material, shape, size, then color. I keep in plastic shoe boxes. I label each box with painter's tape and a sharpie. I don't bother labeling lids since they all fit each other. I store hanks on shower curtain hooks. ~~~^..^

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

So many great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you!🎁

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome

Thank you 💗💗💗

like the silver wear holder that was cool

The metal mesh cups can be hung on pegboard too ! Love your ideas 💡

I organize by color and material, sometimes by size as well, i.e. fire polish and seed beads.

I find my Lindstrom cutters are effective up to about 20g. Any thicker than that I’m concerned about nicking my cutters.

I love this type of info. It is so usable

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

So glad to hear that! Thanks for watching.

Got 14 gauge half hard , I use that for my S hooks and love it !

hi thank you for all your wonderful storage tips. One that i found useful was to use diamond craft storage kits for smaller findings my one has 50 rectangler storage pottles, they look like we tic tac candy boxes and they all stack nicely inside the case that came with it.

Great tips. Hi Michael!

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Lisa! It's Melissa and I'll be sure to say hi to Michael for you. Happy new year! ❤

Thank you!

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

I like your idea s

one of my failures is storing and organizing! I got a lot of great tips watching this. Thanks very much.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! 🙂

Hello from Lisa in SC

Great tips. Indiana here

I sort my beads by colour/sizes in jam jars

May I ask where you have gotten the drawers behind you? Thank you so much. I buy from fire mountain once a month for over seventeen years. I sure could use those cabinets.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Amber. Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your creativity for so long! ❤ Those cabinets were purchased years ago from IKEA we believe. We're not sure if they still carry it.

@amber6607

2 жыл бұрын

@@FireMountainGems your welcome! Just made an order last night 😊 and thank you for the information on the cabinets.

@wendyannh

2 жыл бұрын

They’re from a company called Best Craft Organizers. They have different size drawers, and a wide assortment of inserts that help with organization. They also sell entire freestanding storage and work desks that you can fully customize.

@amber6607

2 жыл бұрын

@@wendyannh thanks for the information.😊

I never knew about the hole in the elastic wire holders!!!

you can never have too many tools for beading!

Hello from Indiana

Hello from arizona

the last few weeks getting acquainted with beads n jewelry; i have a stash I use to ornament knitting and many years ago did beading but I am new to the current trends. My issue is being OCD about beads rolling around to my lap, the cat sitting next to me, the ones that go flying across the room, etc. I love seed beads but they seem to have a mind of their own! Anyway I was wondering what people do after a beading session, or after a work is completed. Surely we cannot return all the beads to their original containers if we are using a lot of seeds. So how to handle the random accumulation. I have been putting the ones that got away all in the same container, then I go to that container and try to use the ones out of there, but it is daunting and takes a lot of compulsive energy. Maybe with more experience I will ascertain how much to remove from container so not many left in the bead tray. Any good ideas? I am a very organized person, have lots of these containers you show. I have my labeled by color boxes on a rather large, sturdy rolling serving cart, and I adapted a magnetic strip from Harbor Freight to attach to the cart and all my tools are suspended by the magnetism! I can pull the cart closer to me when I need it. Love it.

Hi, my name is Gwen, I saw this somewhere in a thrift shop and the way they display their brooches to sell is to hang an old T-shirt on a hanger and pin all the brooches on it. I thought it was a brilliant idea.

@FireMountainGems

11 ай бұрын

Such a creative idea!

Hello CORETTA Blackmon from Clayton NC

In this throwaway world that we live in, I am a huge advocate for sharpening your tools. Take it to a hardware store and ask for a tool that you can use to sharpen it yourself and ask them to teach you how to use it.

@FireMountainGems

8 ай бұрын

Great advice!

What do you use to organize current project components? I'm excited to get back to jewelry making 😊

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

There are a number of things you can do. You can use a felt tray to keep all the materials for that particular project together. We also offer bead board that are excellent. Here's a link www.firemountaingems.com/shop/kwtoolstemplatesdisksandboards-design_aids

Great topic. Does anyone have any book recommendations for space organization optimization? I find I struggle with how to place everything in a way that is functional and pleasing.

@lawrenberghanson4401

2 жыл бұрын

Also, how does everyone store in-progress projects? I tend to have multiple going in parallel. Currently, I just place them in a plastic ziplock and put store them in a rectangular storage box. I want to get that a little more organized. Maybe I can use DVD covers? 🤔

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Lawrenberg. We don't have any books on storage, but have a number resources that might help: bit.ly/3QnFO9Q. Thanks for watching!

@lawrenberghanson4401

2 жыл бұрын

@@FireMountainGems thanks!! i will check it out!!

I would like to know where to purchase the storage item shown. Where to get the plastic tool holder v shaped.

@FireMountainGems

8 ай бұрын

You can find the tool holder here: www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/h203194pk Also, you can browse our full selection of organizational supplies here: www.firemountaingems.com/shop/organizers

Hi my name is Raquel I live in Florida were can i find the organizer for my tools thank you for this information really need it

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Raquel! Which organizer are you referring to? Here's a link to our organizers that we offer and were featured in the video: www.firemountaingems.com/shop/organizers

Really like the a frame...where do l find those?

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

HI Charlene. Are you speaking of this? www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/h203194pk

Hi I'M curious where did you get your big storage drawer in back of this video?

@FireMountainGems

Жыл бұрын

We got it years ago from IKEA.

@deannjackson264

Жыл бұрын

@@FireMountainGems You know the style of it looked really familiar, that would be perfect for my storage, I wonder if they have something similar…. I’m 7 miles away from an IKEA, Thank you!

Sadly, the chain sta is no longer available on your website. 😥

Does anyone have a system for keeping seasonal/holiday and coordinating color beads organized and accessible? Looking for ideas rather than having to pull out multiple bead boxes to see what I have in browns (for example) to compliment an Autumn (for example) focal bead(s)?

@nla7737

2 жыл бұрын

Guess I could start photo boards of what's in bead boxes and match with my focal beads.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

You might try designating one organizer for each seasonal/holiday colored supplies.

@rgbuns4ever

2 жыл бұрын

I have easily thousands of different types of beads and I keep all of mine sorted and organized by size and color so if I am looking for a brown bead in a 7mm, I can go to my container of brown beads of that size. I also have labels on the outside of the cabinets/drawers where I store all my beads that tells me which colors and sizes are in each place.

Chris Robin from Indianapolis Indiana

How do you sort an organize an store your jewelry wire?

@FireMountainGems

5 ай бұрын

You can keep your wire organized by storing it in Tite-lip top zip clear bags. Use a permanent marker to write the gauge and type of wire on the outside of the bag. Not only will your wire be easy to find, the top zip bags are an added help with limiting oxidation. Here's a link to those bags for your convenience: www.firemountaingems.com/shop/tite_lip-storage_bags We hope that helps. Make sure you're subscribed, we've got a new video coming out in April about organizing your jewelry supplies. Keep an eye out for that!

Where do we get the plastic pliers holder?

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Renae. Here's a link to it: www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/h203194pk

@valeriewestmoreland4010

Жыл бұрын

Amazon also carries them.

I have enough beads to open my own shop. Whats the best way for me to organize all of my beads? I have them all over the place in my beading room.

@FireMountainGems

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Mona. That's hard to say. "The best" could be quite different amongst jewelry makers. Some organize by color of beads, some by the bead material or even shape. Some organize by colors of the season. It's really what is going to work best for you.