Dollar Store Inspiration for Your Jewelry Studio

Studio storage and organization is a hot topic! But as much as we all love to organize, let’s not break the budget on storage. We need that money for jewelry making supplies! Your neighborhood dollar store, thrift shops, and even your own kitchen and garage are great places to look for containers and other cool supplies to use in your jewelry studio.

Above: Dollar store bowls make it easy and inexpensive to sort jewelry making supplies and tools.

If you’re trying to stretch your dollars (and who isn’t?), here’s some inspiration for using thrifty finds.

1. Let’s Talk About Trays

Small trays, big trays, I like all the trays! I learned about the wonder of trays on the set of Beads, Baubles, and Jewels, where each project was organized in step-by-step order on a large jelly roll pan. I’ve applied the same concept with small trays in my own studio. It’s convenient to start assembling things you know you’ll need on one tray and then keep everything together as you move through each part of the process.

2. Check Your Kitchen

A magnetic knife holder is one of my favorite kitchen-to-studio items. I’ve moved this one around quite a bit, from the wall to the side of a kitchen island/cart, because it’s so helpful for keeping random things handy. Just remember that any pliers you place on your magnetic knife holder will eventually become magnetized as well. Magnetic chip clips make it easy to hang glasses and other items, recycled tin holds scraps of wire—and I recently found magnetic tins at the dollar store that have clear lids. Exciting!

Other kitchen items that easily migrate to the studio: Spinning utensil holders, canning jars, spice racks, even old-school ice cube trays can become helpful organizational tools in the studio. Shop for these items at dollar stores, thrift stores, garage sales, and other places where it’s easy to find bargains.

3. Reuse and Freecycle

Metalsmiths are ingenious when it comes to reusing things in their studios. Coffee cans, mint tins, and yogurt cups have already served their purpose so they’re practically free. Other ideas for freecycling include using old leather belts to fasten hammers onto stumps; cutting up worn t-shirts for shop rags; employing sturdy glass jars to hold paintbrushes; and empty cigar boxes can contain all sorts of items, from earring cards to soldering picks, and more.

5 Jewelry Storage and Organizational Tips

1. Keep like things together. Whether that’s wire, polishing supplies, or anything else in your studio, it will be easier to find and inventory if similar items are together.
2. Place your essentials within arm’s length. Magnification, your favorite pliers and cutters, and any other necessary items can have a go-to place on your bench or in a basket that allows you to move them around with you.
3. Label everything! This will take a little extra time up front but it will save you a lot of time as you design and create in your studio.
4. Take advantage of your vertical space. Hooks, shelves, and bulletin boards help take your storage off the tabletop and onto the wall.
5. Allow yourself to take some time collecting containers and other organizational tools for your studio. If you feel good about your studio, you’ll want to spend more time in it!

Check out Free How-to Bead Storage Solutions for advice on recycling jars for your bead storage and read Tammy Honaman’s 5+ Tips on Organizing Your Personal Jewelry Studio Space for more inspiring ideas. We’d love to see your tips and tricks for transforming bargain finds for use in your studio!

Learn more techniques using your favorite tools: