Baby food jars are great for sorting beads and I've found they are even better when I use magnets glued on the lids and bottoms (I use a glue gun or E6000). Once glued, I "stack them" by color. I've placed a heavy duty magnetic strip on the bottom of the shelf in my work room and hang the "columns of jars" within arms reach. ~ Christine Merritt

If you are confused trying to tie a weavers knot try this method. Make a slip knot in the new thread end, put the old thread through the noose --pull the slip knot thread till you hear it POP. There you are! Ready to continue with your new thread all tied on securely. ~ Jane Sunderman

My friends were looking for ear cuffs in colors --so I put my wire work to good use--By using a large knitting needle --I coiled around it--coated it with clear polish to hold it together- then I clipped and-- whala -- an easy ear cuff in any color you want--you can even add a charm -by not cutting the end --looping and adding a small charm. ~ Denise Ivy

I had too many small amounts of beads and not enough small containers to store them. Then inspiration struck as I opened the bag from the trip to the dollar store - plastic ice cube trays! Four for a buck~ cool colors~ stackable and 12 small containers per tray. ~ Deb Teramani

When working on a macrame project, such as a bracelet, or choker, I have found that two large key chain rings hooked together works awesome to hold the project while I am working on it. What I usually do is hook it onto my toe and just sit and knot when I am bored. It's alot easier to carry than a clipboard, and it doesn't keep slipping off like tape or pins. ~ Robin Marie Davis

I found a set of 2 whetstones(for sharpening knives) that are only about 1"x2" one is a medium grit and the other is fine. I keep these on the edges of my work tray. They are very handy for removing small burrs, smoothing sharp bugle bead ends, blunting needles and even some minor shaping for wire ends. Attached with double sided tape, they stay put, so I can be using both hands to hold my work steady. They are also very nice when I snag the end of a fingernail, just a quick stroke on the fine and no more snag. ~ Jen Kuhns

In setting up my bead area I was looking for something to hold both my finished necklaces and strands of beads. I don't have a lot of wall space so I was pretty limited in my options. Then I discovered the tie-o-matic is perfect for my limited space as it only requires about 5 inches of wall space and then extends out about 6 inches from the wall. The one we have has about 20 little pegs and rotates at the flip of a switch all of the necklaces and bead strands hung on the pegs! ~ Kathy Champion

When working with the clear Elastisoft to make stretchy bracelets/anklets, everyone recommends coating the end with two coats of clear nail polish to stiffen it up. I did that and it works, but in the clutter of my work area, the elastisoft would virtually disappear and I would spend what seemed forever searching for it. Now I coat the ends with two coats of colored quick drying nail polish and no longer have to spend precious beading time trying to locate them. ~ Jeanette Ivins

I love hunting old shops, garage sales, estate sales and so on for old, unusual beads and findings. What was always a problem in working with old beads was cleaning them until I ran across a screen mesh made expressly for the kitchen sink. This fits in the drain hole in place of the drain stopper and allows you to wash the beads however you like (large or small quantities) and not worry about even the smallest bead going down the drain. This mesh is available at any store where you would normally purchase a replacement drain stopper. Now I can save all those tiny beads I often lost. ~ Karen Weishaar

When I was eating at McDonalds, I noticed the little cups with covers for ketchup, etc. So now I save all my little cups (don't run out and clean out McDonalds) wash them out and use them to keep my many small beads in them. That way they transport well and you can pop the covers open, set them out and you're ready to bead. ~ Ursula

A lot of my beads are in tubes and I was having a hard time seeing what color was in each tube. So I took a box about 2 1/2 inches deep and in the box I placed Large hair rollers upright. Then into each roller I could place the tubes upright and by color, purples, blues, greens, etc. Works great and If the rollers are placed side by side all the tubes are very easy to see inside. Of course cut down toilet paper rolls would work but these were cheap at the $.99 store and they will last longer. Hope this helps someone be more organized. ~ Myrtle Edwards When I am soldering a small area on a piece of jewelry and I don't want the solder to run into other places, I pull out a bottle of "white out" or liquid paper and paint it on. The "white out" creates a dirty surface, which stops the solder from flowing into the area that I don't need it to go. ~ Colette Lofgren

A local hardware store was going out of business and while searching for items I might be able to use at good prices, I found sheets of Plexiglass varying in size from 8" to 36" on both sides. Well I bought four sheets and have now use one of the larger sheets as my platform for working with my polymer clay and it works wonderfully. I would suggest getting some Plexiglass as your work area for anyone into polymer clay. ~ BrendaLea Abbott

For scooping out little imperfections in beads, or carving soft materials, like clay, I love dental tools. I asked my dentist for any old tools he had that were going to be tossed out, and he was happy to give me several! They come in various shapes, are generally sharp at the ends, with handles that are easy to manipulate. ~ Jeannie Bench

You can use the inexpensive screening found at home supply stores to create a handy earring display. Just buy some of the mesh screening, have it placed into a metal frame (they can do this for you at the hardware store). Then buy some "L" bracklets for the base. Done! You can paint the border of the frame or just leave it natural. You can also place the mesh screening into an old picture frame and secure with a staple gun. Just slip your earwires through the mesh. ~ Rhona

To easily twist wire, screw a cup hook into a wooden dowel. Bend the wire, slip it over the hook, and turn the dowel. It twists wire perfectly! ~ Eve Elliott

When I make a complicated beading pattern, first I copy the picture, then use the copy to work from. As I finish each section, I use a marker or colored pencil to color it in. That way, I always know right where I am. This also keeps the original pattern from getting dog-eared and stained. ~ Evelyn Villegas

I make a lot of wire earrings, and an easy display for them can be made out of a wooden frame. Simply remove the glass from the screen and using thumbtacks, tack an old piece of screen from a window or door to the inside of the frame. You can then hang the earrings from the tiny holes in the screen. To make it even more presentable you can paint the frame a funky color and glue twisted wire or beads to the front of the frame. ~ Anne Bujanowski Did you ever receive a gift of dried fruit or cheese? Take the wooden board on the bottom, clean it up and line it with the new dense foam. It makes a perfect beading board. The edges are high enough to keep beads from rolling away, but not high enough to interfere with your reach. It is light weight and just the right size to remain portable. ~ Kay Crichton When knotting pearls, I was having problems with uneven spacing. Now I use a hat pin to pull the knot as close as possible to the first pearl, string the next pearl right up to the hat pin, slide the hat pin out of the knot, push the second pearl next to the first and then pull the string to tighten the knot. Now I easily have evenly knotted pearl strands. ~ Candace Gray

I have been trying my hand at organdy ribbon and bead necklaces and found that I could thread the ribbon through the needle using a handmade needle threader. I use a piece of filament folded in half, thread the loop end through the needle, thread the ribbon through the much larger filament loop, and pull that back through the needle.~ AliceAnn Strausbaugh

I use plastic-coated wire mesh silverware holders (baskets) to store my 6-inch tubes of seed beads. Each holder (from Target) has six compartments and carrying handles. The compartments allow me to keep the tubes upright and separated by color or size. I keep the holders on my worktable and my seed beads are right at my fingertips and are easy to view.

I find that when using silver black it often leaves a bit darker finish that I really want . To give the piece dimension I like to put it in the tumbler for a few minutes (not long)and don't forget to use separate shot for this process. ~ Cristina Herrera

One of my favorite tips for keeping project components separate - but gathered in front of me - is to organize everything in a vintage deviled egg plate or tray. Not only are they very attractive in the various colors of glass typical to their era, they keep everything separated and easy to scoop out from the smooth and shallow depressions. You can find them at garage sales or flea markets for just a couple dollars! (If you're not into collecting vintage glass, try Tupperware's deviled egg tray; it's great too!) ~ Lea Zinke

If you have real dirty beads or a very old necklace that you have taken apart and the beads are dirty. Place the beads in one of those mesh bags like onions come in and tie and over-hand knot so there isn't a lot of loose space. Place the bag in your dishwasher and viola! Sparkling beads without a lot of work. ~ BrendaLea

Purchase an "Extreme Worm Binder" from a fishing and tackle shop. It's a 2 ring binder that holds reinforced zipper bags (made to hold bait and grubs) The bags are perfect for holding beads and findings, because they are watertight. I even take it one step further and staple mini zipper bags filled with supplies to cardstock and then insert the cardstock into the zippered bags. This way, I can transport a lot of supplies and the clear plastic makes it easy to see everything at a glance. ~ Alice Alper-Rein Nylon jaw pliers are really great for those of us who work with wire, but I had a really hard time finding some. Before I was able to buy a pair, I faked it by covering the jaws of a pair of chain-nose pliers with masking tape. I've heard that scotch tape will work as well, if your wire isn't too heavy. ~ Shel Tozer-Kilts

When creating a bracelet with a magnetic clasp try adding a few inches of chain before the crimp bead to insure that you wont loose the bracelet to a mishap like I had with a shopping cart! Just be sure the bracelet and chain fits over your fist before deciding how long the safety chain will be! You will never loose those precious vintage beads on your magnetic braclet again. ~ Karen Lewis

I am super near sighted, and have a very hard time seeing the end of the thread for threading. So I coat the end with a nail polish product called Hard As Nails, and if I'm using a light color I also color the last half inch of the thread with a red ballpoint pen. ~ Kelli Allison

I work several bead projects at a time. By storing the beads, findings and needles for each project on a white plastic dinner plate with segments, and stored in a big zip-lock bag, I can then stack projects. The projects easily stack in a large hat box, which I have added handles. I take my current projects with me wherever I go. Extra thread and scissors go in the box too. ~ Eve Elliott

As a wire artist, I have searched for a way to get the sticky adhesive from masking tape off my wire. I have found a "2 in 1" remedy. Baby oil does it great! And at the same time, it also removes the black film that can form on your wire from sitting. Just put a few drops on a cloth and rub it over the wire. So clean it squeaks. I use it before I cut my wire for a project, too. Plus, it is inexpensive. ~ Pamela Newman

I make a lot of bracelets and watchbands, and putting everything down to try to wrap parts and pieces around my wrists is frustrating. So, on my working trays I laid down a length of masking tape with lengths marked. This way I can simply lay the watch and what pieces I've completed, or the length of bracelet I've completed along the strip, to see where I am in the project. ~ Jeannie Bench

You know all those unfinished projects? Well I found that storing them in zippered CD cases helps inspire me to finish them. Put the unfinished project in the front pocket where you would file the CD and in the back where you would file the slipcover of the CD. You can put the needed supplies for finishing, along with a to do list of what needs to be done. Voila, instant inspiration for those days when we have all that extra time on our hands! ~ Cristina Herrera

Here's a tip for those who solder: In addition to the plastic container you may already have inside your pickle pot, keep an inexpensive, small plastic strainer with a plastic handle in the clear water container you keep near your pickle pot. Drop your item to be pickled into the strainer. Place the strainer into your pickle pot and when its done, right back into the water. This tip keeps you from inadvertently putting your steel tongs into the pickle solution. Also, you won't have to fish around in the hot pickle for those small parts. ~ Alice Alper-Rein When making a knot using the clear elastic thread, make the first half of the knot, then clamp it with an alligator clip (used in electronics), then you can easily make the other half of the knot and pull it tight. ~ Catherine Hartman

To keep my beads from rolling off the table I am working on, I have purchased a large peice of kelly green felt. I spread it on the table where I work. This also makes it easy to see everything. It is simple but very helpful. ~ Beth Wall

Instead of buying head pins, I make my own using 20G gold or silver wire and my anvil and hammer. Just clip off the scant 2" of wire, and hit the end to flatten it. It costs only pennies vs. the .50+ for purchased head pins, and you get a little more flash in your jewelry from the flattened wire. ~ Donna Mehnert

Since I like to take my bead fun on trips, I found that if I take my frisbee, with a piece of muslin on it, it provides a work surface that I can get out fast and do work in a relatively short time, and then I can put it up just as fast if I need to. ~ Laura Haigler

I do my wire wrapping on the underside of a mousepad. I put a terry towel on one side to keep it from sliding around on my work surface and it keeps things from sliding around. The mousepad keeps stones from slipping around and, it they do drop out of your hands, they drop onto a well-cushioned surface. ~ Nadine Fidelman

After trying various surfaces for doing my beading, I finally bought an old folding metal tv tray at a yard sale. I spray painted it off white and put my beading board on it. It is just the right height to work on from the couch or a favorite chair, the rim makes it easy to corral beads and when I stop I just set it aside in a corner out of the way, so I don't have to pick everything until I am finished with the project. ~ Ruean Holt

To make polymer clay beads the same size, try using a small cutter of some kind. I use kemper cutters, but it can even be the lid off a lip liner or something similar. Simply roll your clay out so that you have an sheet that is one even thickness. Then cut out some pieces with your cutter. If each bead is made from 3 of these cut pieces, your beads will all be exactly the same size! Vary how many pieces you use to make different sized beads. Roll this clay up into a ball, and use as is. Or then you can embellish the bead by applying thin slices of canes. ~ Kellie Robinson

Some of us have episodes where we feel we have lost all our creativity. When that happens to me, I will make a necklace that I have made before, but maybe use a different stone, or color of bead. This takes the pressure off of coming up with something new, and usually by the time I am done, I have thought of something new to design. ~ Laurel

I have found that the new ZIPLOC plastic containers with compartments are just great for keeping on-going projects, because I can use the larger compartment for the project iself and larger tubes of beads and use the two smaller compartments for smaller items like loose beads, smaller packets of beads, findings, needles, thread, etc. ~ Morgan Starchild

Another idea I've used for an earring display is a single wood shutter. I decopogded pressed flowers around the edges. Gave it sort of a rustic looked. It can hold quite a few earrings. ~ Vicky Tuthill

I have 100's of earrings, most of which I have made myself. I was looking for a good way to store them so that I could see them easily. I took a piece of Aida Cloth used for cross stitch and put in an embroidery hoop. I then decorated the embroidery hoop to match my bedroom. You can hang you earrings on this quite easily and then hang them on the wall as a decoration. I, of course, had to make several. Later, I found a metal rack that had been discarded that usually held cards at a greeting card shop here in town and I now hang them that. ~ Roberta Carter

I make a lot of earrings with the usual wire fishhook and my mother came up with the idea of taking a plastic lid from a throw away container and punching holes out of it with a hole punch. Then take a large needle and poke a hole through the center of the punched out plastic dot and use them for earring stays. A really cheap method to keep from losing an earring. I put them on all the earrings I make now. ~ Linda Hampton

To protect my sterling silver against excess firescale when soldering, I brush typing correction fluid, such as Liquid Paper or Wite-Out, on the area, as a mask, to protect the metal. It provides a barrier for the flux and works very well in keeping the "dreaded" firescale to a minimum for clean up afterwards. The correction fluid rinses off with soap and water. ~ Marilynne Wasielewski

When you've made an incredible beaded cabachon, and you're ready to finish it by backing it with leather, buckskin, chamois, etc., it's very frustrating when it's too tough to sew into. Here's one way to solve that problem: Take a piece of backing, trace the cab onto the 'inside' or 'back' of the leather, leaving some space around it. Put a leather sewing needle into the sewing machine - DON't thread it. Now, stitch all the way around your tracing. This makes holes that are large & clean enough to hand-stitch comfortably into, without fraying your beading thread or yanking your piece around. I use a large piece of backing & trace several cabs at a time, cutting them apart as I need them. ~ Evelyn Villegas

My jewelry business is a part time business. To make the most of my time, I periodically will put out all of my beads, charms, findings, fused glass, etc. that I use to make jewelry on a big table. I put the main components around which my jewelry will be designed in a muffin tin. Then I pick out the other components and put in small zip lock bags. I always have some "baggies" handy so when I have a few minutes I just grab some wire and a few tools and can complete a piece of jewelry in a short period of time. ~ Jan

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Disclaimer Notice: The tips presented here are provided by various readers and are not meant to instruct in any way. They are simply given to pass on information that someone has found helpful to him/herself. As the Guide for this site, I am simply passing on this information. Posting a tip does not mean I condone, encourage, or agree in any way with the ideas suggested in posted tips. Please use your common sense and your own judgment when considering apply tips to your own jewelry making needs. - Tammy Powley