overcoming *organizational* challenges in beading

This photo is shameful. But, sadly, it's how the top of my studio desk looked a couple weeks back. Random beads, half-finished pieces of jewelry, plastic animal figurines (why?…) and more littered about left me with no space to work on.

My biggest challenge in any jewelry making endeavor is without a doubt my ORGANIZATION. I have the hardest time even starting a project, because I can't ever find the right materials - because my desk looks like the above picture! It takes me hours to finish a project that should take minutes, because I have to sort through disorganized piles of mess to find jump rings, headpins, just the basics needed for jewelry making. Honestly, it's super aggravating, as you could imagine!



Well, I have found a stylish solution - organizing my mess into jars and labeling them with nothing other than sparkly tape creates bright, easy-to-read containers that can be reused and recycled once they are empty.



I picked up a bunch of these little jars from a flea market- most of them were vintage baby food jars and such. These make super great containers for beads, findings, pendants and more.

I also have a ton of this glitter tape (I found this at JoAnn, you can also use washi tape too!) - I cut them into pennant shapes and stuck on the jars. Because, of course, I need sparkle everywhere in my studio!

Use light colors of this glitter tape for easy reading. Write on these pennant labels with a Sharpie. You can write bead sizes (which I do) bead styles (for gemstones) or really whatever will help you stay organized most. For jump rings, crimp covers and crystals I usually sort by bead size or millimeter. I always label my gemstones by name and origin, if I'm given one.

This is how I label all my jars now. I store these on a shelving unit in my studio. That first picture?! All nicely organized into jars.
I'm already seeing the difference - my jewelry making goes much, much faster and I'm no longer burdened by the challenge of actually FINDING my materials before I use them!
What do you think?! How do you stay organized?!