I use clear plastic from Walmart. Hey hold about 16 section and cost $4.97. Made by Darice. Love the see through. Fit nice for storage.

I think she means plastic sheet protectors, that go into 3 ring binders. Office supply stores have them, even some drugstores in the office or school supply section.

That is a true statement. I have some many bead I won’t use. Trying to donate and sell. That isn’t easy either.

Lovely, Marilyn!

I recently became embarrassed at the glut of beads I had. Some were over 20 years old, some were hardly recognizable as beads & some were nice but I would never use. I took everything I could or should part with & am donating all of it to a young girl whom I helped to start beading. She will be told to discard what she doesn’t want, share or do whatever she so desires.
I now have more than 5 plastic divided boxes that are empty. If I don’t find a household use for those, I will give her those also.
Feels good!

LOL, Barbara! 🙂

Not only do I have a ruler by my keyboard, but the nearest within-reach filing cabinet drawer has printed pages showing bead sizes in millimeters and centimeters plus conversions of those measurements to inches.

This is a really important one and it took me a long time to learn it. If particular beads turn out to be something you use over and over, get more as soon as possible before the are out of production.

I’m in. Although the last series of necklaces I did was designed specifically to use the “odds and ends” of really interesting beads that were languishing in my bead cabinet it does not look much emptier.

Oh darn, I was hoping the contest was to die with the most beads!

The addiction is real! Need to start a support group. 😅😅

That’s really good to know but what if like me you don’t have FB?

I wish I had found you before I started, but it’s all good in bead land. Sometimes I need to remember to look up a technique instead of trying to figure it out! Like knots .Thanks Rena for the wealth of info and support for us all.

When you as a jewelry maker have a business to re-sale what you make – then sellers of materials will give you a tax exempt status where you do not have to pay tax to them to purchase from them. This is because you will be paying tax when your jewelry sells.

FB has a few platforms where you can sell all un=needed supplies of any kind. You set the price and etc. It is free and it has a huge following for customers.

http://www.RioGrande com will buy all of your recyclable wire. Go to their website and read their requirements. It depends on the current market price.

this was the funniest and most accurate truth on beads taking over. Lately its challenge yourself with the supplies you have aplenty, girl!

For glue, I usually put a dot on a scrap of paper or something, then use a needle or toothpick to apply teeny amounts to the spots I want it.

SO TRUE, if you want to learn something…go to the WWW~

Wow, so on the spot. My work/play room started with a few boxes, now those boxes are wall paper lining every available space, and stacked to the ceiling.

Great tip! But plastic paper dividers that you put the clay into? I’m having a hard time picturing what those are. Thx.

Becky, great tip! 🙂

Thanks for sharing, Mary!

I buy those plastic boxes with tiny drawers (for screws and nails) from the lumber store. They stack really well and each drawer can be labeled and hold the tiny bits. For example, I use several sizes of jump rings, each drawer can hold the particular size and be labeled.

Where do you take your leftover pieces to recycle?

Fabric is like that too!!

U r sooooo funny and soooo correct! We crafters need to share our tips and yes our mistakes with others! It’s good to know I’m not the only one!

I find it hard to use the glue…it’s hard to get out and then when I do it seems not to stop! But I’d like to use it more often for security especially with expensive beads.

So true. I have thousands of beads I thought were pretty, now they just sit waiting to be used. Try to buy only what you need and have a project in-mind when shopping.

Yes, most important. I have stuck a clear plastic ruler to my computer monitor, it is really handy to be able to measure anything when I am at my desk.

Oh my goodness!!! That is so funny!
Great advise for the beginner jeweler!

Re:
3. Resell materials? Look into tax-exempt.

I appreciate your tips. Pardon my ignorance though as I’m somewhat puzzled. Does this mean to purchase resold items? In other words, purchase second hand in order to qualify for a tax exemption? Thank you in advance.

Geri

Keep a few samples of the scrap wire/thread/beads. They can help select what size item you need to make that item in your mind a reality!

Find someone whose willing to give you honest feedback. Preferably someone who knows something about the type of jewelry you’re making. This would have helped me a lot in the beginning! It still does now, thanks JMJ and Rena!

Ex-per-i-ment! You’ll only grow as an artist by playing outside your comfort zone. Experimenting helps you refine your technique and add to it.

I wish I’d known that the 3-drawer plastic storage bins (like the ones I use here) would be perfect for most of my jewelry supply organizing / storing needs! I tried various awkward versions of boxes, bags, etc. before that, but they never really functioned for the way I work.