Simple Tips - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

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Beading Resources > Simple Tips

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An easy idea for a bead tray for designing and making beaded items is the black Styrofoam trays that meat comes in. Safeway's meat trays have rows of square individual depressions that hold the beads in place. You can use pins on it, or if I have not finished a bracelet and don't have it crimped yet, I staple each end down on the edges of the tray until I'm ready to start again. Cut holes in it to hold top drilled items while gluing in a bail.

- Jacqueline from Oregon

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I keep all the bags my jewelry beads come in from Fire Mountain. I discovered the smallest ones are great for holding a sewing bobbin that I filled with beading thread. You just leave about a half inch of thread hanging out and pull out what you need.

- Violette from Kansas

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To display your earrings, find a postcard rack that some store is getting rid of and hang them on it. Or, you can get a metal CD or DVD rack and hang them on it. This works great for shows or at home.

- Roberta from California

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I use an angler's tackle box to store all of my beading supplies. It comes with few storage containers with dividers and plenty of space for wires and thread (considering they have it for fishing pole wire) and my tools fit nicely. Although, I must admit this is probably best for the beginner jeweler, but it is handy for transporting all of your supplies at once.

- China from Indiana

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You can use safety pins as your own personal wire coiling gizmo to create small wire coils for detailed wirework and maybe even for wire guardians.

- Angelica from Wisconsin

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I create hairpins and to make sure all my items for each hairpin is in a secure area before making, I use my old prescription bottles I got from the pharmacy. I use recycle paper put the customer names on the bottle and all items needed for their hairpin order and secure the top on it. Then when it's time for that customer, I open the prescription bottle put the items on the mat and create my beautiful hairpins and when they're done put them back into the bottle. When I go to package them up I will not confuse them with another customers hairpins; great way to recycle and keep things in order. Hope that helps you with what to do with those plastic containers from the pharmacy.

- Dianna from California

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I give the teal tissue paper to my best friend for her papermaking. It makes an awesome color in her paper and it leaves less stuff going to the landfill.

- Lori from Canada

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When you need to make many identical lengths of chain, as when you are making a tassel, I like to use the Chain-Sta, item #H20-3511TL. Put an eyepin in one of the clamps. Hang the correct length of chain on the eyepin. Now just hang another length on it and use the original as a template to cut more. I also like to put a small bend on the eyepin so my chain does not fall off as I cut.

- Rose from Oregon

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When I bead, I cover my worktable with a piece of white cotton flannel. I have it long enough to lie in my lap like an apron. 1. The beads don't roll. 2. The apron catches beads that are dropped. 3. This beats having to pick them up from the floor.

- Jean from Maryland

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I use crimp pliers to hold a crimp cover when I am placing it over the crimp bead. It fits perfectly in the groove and I have the pliers in my hand to quickly close the cover before it falls out of place. I also use the crimp pliers to open and close jumprings. They don't slip as easy as the looping pliers do.

- Melanie from Ohio

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Crimp covers make such a difference in a project. Sometimes I have a bit of a tight fit over the crimp bead. Instead of smashing the crimp bead tighter and risk it breaking, I use the tip end of looping pliers to stretch the crimp cover. It always fits perfectly and closes flush.

- Melanie from Ohio

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Save those chocolate boxes from Valentine's Day. They are perfect for seed beads and other small beads.

- Angela from Hawaii

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Want a handy way of making jewelry without dropping or losing your beads? Take a plastic lunch tray with divided sections and use double-sided tape and tape pieces of a bead mat into each slot. That way your beads stay in the individual slots. No more rolling off into the floor only to have to search and search for your beads.

- Patricia from North Carolina

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I usually take about 6 organizer bins with me. They are 11"x14" with multi-compartments. Well the new trend in grocery shopping is to use those fabric grocery bags. My bins fit perfectly inside. I found a great funky grocery bag with long shoulder handles. It works to great.

- Cindy from British Columbia

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When working with very tiny beads, place beads on a flat surface such as a plate. To quickly pick up, wet your finger and press down on beads so that they stick to your finger and easily thread beads by sticking end of line through beads stuck to your finger. This works best when using something semi-stiff for stringing, such as wire or monofilament.

- Jill from Florida

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This is from my friend Barb, who does jewelry appraisals: Never use rubber bands (or any rubber) near silver or silver plating. The chemicals in the rubber will actually burn through the silver (or SP) and leave nasty black marks--permanently ruining the piece.

- MJ from Indiana

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Earrings and Zzzzz's

The majority of damage to earrings occur overnight. During sleep, you toss, you turn, and you put loads of unnecessary stress on earrings. Remove earrings before going to bed.

- Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Tip

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Clip for Cash

Best tip I can think of to save money is to use ToeNail Clippers in place of cutters to trim your ends, on your beading wires and threads. Saves more money for beads!

- Sara from New Jersey

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Poli-Perfect Bead Release Solution

The easiest way to get release off of the inside of lamp worked beads is to soak in denture cleaner... comes out spotless...

- Mariann from Washington

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A Baker's Dozen

I use the small white boxes for making my holiday gingerbread template pieces. There is no artificial dye in the paper to discolor the gingerbread dough and the paper is thick enough to be re-used many times. The square and round Klay Kutters™ are great for cutting windows and doors, too!

- Jamie from Oregon

192 Item(s) Found.

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