medicine viles used for bead storage
Awhile back I posted some nontraditional bead storage ideas. Here’s another idea…old medicine viles. It’s not my idea. A friend gave these to me with the bead supplies already in them. I wonder what else I can do with the viles though! They’re so unique. Have any good ideas?
After reading our Stretchy Bracelet Tutorial, a reader named Jamie asked,
I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to keep beads organized without purchasing a plastic bin organizer at the craft store. My oldest has thousands of beads, but they always get mixed up or spilled. I appreciate your help!
To answer Jamie’s question, here are some ideas.
beads in mint, shampoo, & lip gloss containers & an eye shadow case
First, look around your house, thrift store, & even the grocery store for small containers that could be repurposed for bead storage. I prefer clear containers so I can see my beads. Plastic is great for traveling or for kids, while glass is fine for shelves or other safe places. If you’re happy to keep beads in non-clear containers, tape a sample bead or label to the outside of the container. Double check that any lids stay on well.
Some plastic & more travel-friendly ideas include: tic tac or other mint containers, spice containers (here’s a whole spice rack at Curbly), Purell bottles, travel-sized shampoo bottles, travel bar soap container, mini zip lock bags, clear lip gloss containers, ink pen barrels for seed beads (ones where the pen top screws on & off. This isn’t my idea, but can’t remember where I originally saw it), an old eyeshadow case, & clear contacts cases.
