Repurposed Studio Storage and Display

Jars are great for storage. They keep items in clear sight, keep them protected and make it easy to return the item to its proper place. Jars can also be pretty to look at. I had a bunch of marbles sorted by color...in plastic bags...in a box...in my drawer. You get my drift. Pure craziness! When I moved into my studio and didn't have the drawer space, I had to come up with another solution. I found this jar at a thrift store and immediately visualized it full of marbles...in the open...in my sunny window. It adds color and no one can say I lost my marbles again! Oh, I know right where my marbles are!

Have you ever noticed how we look at things for what they were intended to be? You have to train your mind to see things differently. For instance, the item below is a stand normally used for cupcakes or apples. Looking at it without the notion that it has to be a cupcake/apple holder opens up new possibilities. To me it is a great organizer for smaller items. The blue 'cup' at the top is actually an insert from a wire vase. It fits perfectly into the top ring and as you can see holds my crochet hooks nicely, not to mention how pretty it is.

The next round of rings is the perfect size for my clear glass votive cups. I can see clearly what I have in them and they are easily accessible. These could hold any number of items. Here I have used them for small embroidery scissors, a set of bead reamers, small screwdrivers, a key chain box cutter, some hooks and tacks. They would work great to hold glue sticks or tubes of glue, tubes of paint, chalk, or crayolas. The list goes on and on. Don't have a stand like this? Use the votive cups by themselves or put them on a tray or in a basket or drawer. They are perfect little containers all by themselves!

Now for the bottom round of rings. These are actually little Chinese cups I found at a garage sale. They are great for tiny things because the inside is rounded and it is easy to get hold of small items such as buttons, hinges, beads, brads, etc. They also sit on their own and, as with the votive cup holders, can be used independent of any stand.

As you can see by the examples shown here, not everything has to be used for what it was designed to be used for! I think this makes a great eclectic display piece and adds personality to your room. The only way it could be even more easy to use would be to place it on a small turntable.

This is a great exercise in recycling and repurposing a number of items to make them work as one unit. I'm sure you could all think of even more ways to use a stand like this. The stand could even be used all by itself to display bracelets or hook earring wires over the rings! The top center could become/hold a pincushion and needles, buttons, thread or embroidery floss could be in the lower containers. I can't stop thinking! Please join in and let your imagination go crazy with ideas. What if you hung it on the wall or from the ceiling? What would turning it upside down result in? I would love it if you shared your ideas.

Decorative Head Vases to Hold Supplies

Here is an idea for separating and storing your brushes, knitting needles, tools, glass canes, rods/dowels, or pencils for example. I use these doll head vase reproductions to hold some of my items used less frequently. The vases themselves have a vintage look and are more interesting than simple containers.

The brushes and other items set on a shelf safely until I need them. I can quickly see what I have and do not have to dig through a drawer to find one of the brushes. This also is a great way to keep your items from being damaged or even lost. Can you imagine what would happen to some of these things such as the feather or brushes if they were clumped together in a drawer?

Note also the possibilities of the shelf itself. The added hooks at the bottom makes this a great piece. Perhaps you could place jars of your favorite items on top of the shelf and hang ribbons or yarns on the hooks below. Could you hang your glue gun, heating tool, scissors or small buckets of supplies on the hooks below? Slip a dowel through the openings on either end and use it for fabrics, papers, spools of ribbon or wire. There are so many possibilities. A shelf like this can be customized to fit your particular needs. I believe I had purchased this one years ago from Home Interiors, but I have seen them at garage sales and thrift stores. If you don't like the color, paint it to fit your decor! If necessary, change the hooks, maybe using drawer pull knobs!

Thrift Store Find - Portable Bead Kit

One really nice thing about bead weaving with tiny seed beads is the small amount of room they take. This is a small tin that measures only 3 3/4" x 5" x 1 1/4" H with the lid on. I found it at a thrift store for under a dollar and use it all the time.

Below is a peak inside showing one of my current beading projects. As you can see, it easily holds my beads, thread and work in progress. I also carry a small pair of scissors and a mini pliers (for when the needle just won't pull through. A copy of my pattern is folded and kept in the bottom in case I need to refer to it. The glass vials are expired vials used to hold blood that is drawn. The stoppers are rubber and hold securely.


I keep a small square magnet on the inside of the lid. As shown below, it is used to hold my needle in place so I can find it easily. This also helps keep the thread from slipping out of the needle.

I take this tin with me on trips in the car or anywhere else I know I am going to have an opportunity to get a few minutes beading time in. I pour some of the beads into the lid so they are easy to get on my needle. Maybe a few of these could store your works in progress? The small tins could be useful to hold so many things in your studio and they are so pretty! I think they would work really well for Artist's Trading Cards especially. I would love to hear what purpose you could find for them.