Mason Jar Craft Storage: Buttons, Beads, Ribbon and Brushes

Craft supplies are small, numerous and easy to lose, which is exactly why mason jar craft storage works so well. Clear glass shows you what you have, lids keep tiny parts together, and the standard sizes line up neatly on a shelf.

The key is matching each supply to the right jar. A jar that is too large hides a small supply at the bottom, and one that is too small leaves you digging. This guide pairs common supplies with jar sizes, then covers sorting, lids, placement and labels.

Which supply goes in which jar

Use this table as a starting point, then adjust it to the amount of each supply you own. Jar dimensions vary by maker, so measure your own jars before you plan a shelf.

Supply	Jar size	Mouth	Lid
Seed beads, sequins, snaps	4 oz (quarter-pint)	Regular	On
Buttons, larger beads, pom-poms	8 oz (half-pint)	Either	On
Thread spools, embroidery floss	16 oz (pint)	Wide	On
Ribbon rolls, trim, lace	16 oz (pint)	Wide	On or off
Paintbrushes, pencils, markers	16 oz (pint)	Regular	Off
Long yarn needles, long brushes, dowels	32 oz (quart)	Regular	Off
Yarn scraps, fabric strips	64 oz (half-gallon)	Wide	On or off

Small jars for beads and buttons

Quarter-pint and half-pint jars are the workhorses of a craft shelf. They hold enough of one small supply to be useful and little enough that you can see all of it at once.

Fill small jars no more than about three quarters full. The space at the top lets you shake the jar to bring a particular bead or button into view, and it stops the contents from spilling when you unscrew the lid.

For very fine supplies such as seed beads, pour through a paper funnel over a tray. A tray with a lip catches the strays, which is far easier than chasing them across a table.

Wide-mouth pints for ribbon and thread

A wide-mouth jar has an opening of about 3 in (76 mm), which is large enough for most hands and for most small ribbon rolls. A regular-mouth opening, at about 2 3/8 in (60 mm), is too narrow for many spools.

Stand ribbon rolls on edge, side by side, so you can see every color through the glass. If a roll is too wide for the opening, wind a few yards onto a flat card or a wooden clothespin and store that instead.

Thread spools stack in two or three layers in a pint. Tuck each loose thread end into the notch on its spool before it goes in, or the ends will tangle together within a week.

Tall jars for brushes and needles

Long tools need height for support. As a rule, the jar should come at least halfway up the tool. A pint, at roughly 5 in (13 cm) tall, suits standard brushes and pencils. A quart, at roughly 7 in (18 cm), suits long yarn needles and long-handled brushes.

Store paintbrushes with the bristles up, and only when they are completely dry. A brush left standing on its bristles bends out of shape, and a wet brush stored upright lets water run down into the ferrule.

Tall, top-heavy jars tip more easily than short ones. A layer of clean, dry pebbles or glass marbles about 1 in (2.5 cm) deep in the bottom adds weight and keeps tools from sliding to one side. For the pens, scissors and clips that live on your work surface rather than on a shelf, the mason jar desk organizer shows how to build a matching three-jar set.

Sort by color

Sorting by color is practical as well as attractive. When you need a blue button, you reach for one jar instead of tipping out a mixed tin.

Start with broad groups and split them only when a jar overflows. Blues and greens, reds and pinks, neutrals, and metallics are enough for most button collections. Line the jars up in a consistent order, such as light to dark, so the row reads as one display.

Keep lids on for small parts

Anything smaller than a fingertip belongs in a jar with its lid on. A closed jar keeps dust out, and if it is knocked over, the contents stay inside.

The two-piece lid lends itself to craft storage. You can label the flat insert, or replace the plain metal look with a padded fabric top that doubles as decoration. The tutorial for fabric-covered mason jar lids shows how, and matching fabric across a row of jars ties a mixed collection together.

Shelf or drawer?

Where the jars live changes how you should fill and label them.

• On a shelf: you see the jars from the side, so color sorting pays off. Keep the supplies you use most at eye level, and place heavy jars on lower shelves. Leave a little space between jars so that glass does not knock against glass.
• In a drawer: you see the jars from above, so choose short jars that clear the drawer frame, and label the lids. Line the drawer with a non-slip mat so the jars do not slide and rattle when it opens.

Keep jars of ribbon, floss and fabric out of strong direct sun, which fades dyes over time. A shelf on a wall beside the window is kinder to color than one facing it.

Label what you cannot see

Clear jars often need no label, since a jar of red buttons explains itself. Labels help when the contents look alike, such as needle sizes, thread weights or bead sizes, and when the jar is viewed from above.

Keep the wording short and the style consistent: the same tag shape, in the same position on each jar. The guide to mason jar labels compares tie-on tags, stickers and lid labels, including options you can rewrite as your supplies change.