Bead storage idea

Organising my studio got off to a great start earlier this year when I put together some Ikea storage units which now house much of the clutter I had lying around on my studio floor. At the moment I'm working on some storage ideas to house all the bits and pieces that clutter my desk and this will be an on going challenge.

Given that I'm not a tidy person and the 30cm of clear space on my workspace seems to be shrinking as the clutter threatens to completely engulf it, I thought I'd start working on some of the things that need containment.

I have a growing collection of beads and jewellery findings in a variety of colours and metals and I keep these in round plastic containers which screw into each other to create stacks. I have rows of these cannisters (just plain and undecorated) and they fit nicely when laid side by side in my Effektiv drawer units and it's easy to identify the contents because they're clear. But they are rather boring to look at, so I decorated some of the larger ones to make them more interesting.

The acorn man on top is a Krafty Lady art mould painted with Lumiere paints to coordinate with the colour of the beads housed in the container.

Here's a detailed view from the top. It's a gorgeous mould with incredible detail and they painted up so beautifully. One of the things I love most about Lumiere paints is how well the colours blend together without visible lines where the different colours butt together.

These cannisters are one of my favourite pieces and they sit proudly on a CD rack which I've set up horizontally along the back of my work table which acts as both a shelf and cubby for the supplies I use often. They add a nice touch of colour to an otherwise very utilitarian area and I enjoy looking at the bright coloured beads - like candy in a candy shop except that they're not fattening!