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My Rhinestone Setup (No Dedicated Craft Space)

Currently, I don’t have a dedicated crafting space, so I have to be able to pack up shop once I finish for the night. I work with many different components, but this post is going to focus on my rhinestone organization. I always use round flat back rhinestones. I like to buy kits from my suppliers so i have a nice color range, but I also acquire rhinestones based on projects. When I begin a specific project, I will do surface area calculations so I know how many gross I should purchase, this inevitably leads to some left over. I will share with you how I organize my rhinestones.

Containers I Use for Rhinestones

I use small flat craft boxes with removable section dividers. By having the ability to change how big the sections are in the box has been rather convenient. I can add more gross to a container if I want to by creating a larger compartment. I think of it as a painter palette. I like small boxes because they are easy to carry to different locations of my house. Sometimes I work in my living room, cloffice (room I turned into a closet & office) and kitchen. I’ve always found portability to be preferred. I mean, it’s not like I bring my deco components to the bathroom, but I’m a girl and I like my options. (possibly good or bad joke.) I haven’t been super picky about how uniform these containers are because I don’t have a dedicated crafting space. All of my containers fit into those photo boxes, 9 to box. Those boxes are living on  shelves I got from Ikea.

Organized or Just Looks Like It?

Here is a peek at the boxes I had out. It probably looks like some crafters nightmare, but there is loose a method to my madness.

My Rhinestone Organization Method

• The first thing I do, is keep all the colors separate. If I have some colors in different sizes and those numbers are sparse, I will keep all of those together.
• After those criteria have been met, I will determine whether the rhinestones are warm, cool or neutral in tone. I’ll put all the cools in one container with a few spots to spare and then the warms in another.
• The neutrals are distributed between the warm and cool free spaces depending on sizes.

How I Group Colors (Warm, Cool, Neutral)

As you can see here, this case was primarily cool. I know you’re thinking, why are there some warm tones in there? I fill free spaces with neutrals or colors I need for a project. Again, think painter’s palette. It’s the easiest way to have everything you need within reach while also have some cohesiveness in color scheme. I distribute neutrals between all my containers because projects could always benefit in composition with neutrals. As you can see in the bottom left corner, I have removed a few of the dividers to allow more room for those clear square rhinestones.

Why I Don’t Put Similar Colors Together

As you craft, there are times were you just lose grip on your component. It will fall into another section and then all is lost. . . or so you’d think. Although sites like Pinterest provide cute ways to color coordinate whatever you’re organizing, it isn’t always the most efficient. I’m real good at sneezing mid grab, or getting distracted while handling my rhinestones.

By placing contrasting beside one another, it makes it easier to find which rhinestone you dropped. That way you can either pick it up later, or use it right away. There’s nothing more straining on the eyes than searching for a clear rhinestone in an all yellow section. This also helps saves your time which will help you concentrate on your project. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Also, note that one package of red rhinestones isn’t opened. I don’t open them until I need them. The more you have loose, the more likely you’ll make a mess if you spill them!

Final Thoughts on Rhinestone Organization

There are many ways to organize your rhinestones. This is the most efficient way I have come up with for myself. As my needs change, I’m sure I’ll try new ways to organize and I’ll be sure to share that with you. Do you have any special tips or tricks? Let me know! Let’s help each other out!