Bead Project Management

One of my worst habits when beading is project management.  I am forever seeing a project in Bead and Button or Beadwork magazines that I just HAVE to make.  I then go online and purchase all the required items to make it, or as I call it, ingredients for the recipe.  Unfortunately, by the time I get everything in I can't remember what I was going to make with all of it.  Maybe it's old age or maybe it's just that my brain is filled with things to do with my twin toddlers, but I just couldn't seem to get organized.

So my latest management process has started to keep me more organized and clutter free.

I purchased 4 large 3 ring binders from the office supply store along with sheet protectors.  I've labeled each of my binders with Dymo tape on the spine with, NECKLACES/SETS | BRACELETS | EARRINGS | OTHER |.  Now when I see a project that I just have to make I scan a copy of it for myself, slip it into the sheet protector and put it in the appropriate binder.

Next comes gathering the jewelry making supplies, or ingredients.  To keep all of these together I also purchased from the office supply store some clear plastic zipper pockets.  When my beads come in I simply place them into the zipper pouch until I'm ready to do the project.

The other nice thing about keeping all of my projects this way is that I have any left overs in the same pouch.  Say I used 38 4mm fire polished beads on the project and I bought a 50 bead strand.  I now have the remaining 12 beads left in the pouch right next to the pattern should I want to recreate the jewelry piece.

This little tidbit has been brought to you from DJBeadshttp://www.djbeads.com