Elizabeth Ward Bead Storage Solutions Plastic Storage Tray and Bead Organizer with 78 Containers Review (2026)

Why 78 separate containers

Large bead collections, especially seed beads bought in bulk or gathered over years, often need more than a single divided tray to sort properly, since colors, finishes, and sizes multiply fast. Elizabeth Ward's Bead Storage Solutions system addresses that by using 78 individual small containers that sit inside one tray rather than molded, fixed compartments, so each container can be lifted out, refilled, or carried to a work table on its own. That flexibility is the main advantage over a one-piece organizer with built-in sections: containers can be removed for closer work or regrouped as a collection grows, rather than being locked into whatever layout the box shipped with.

What comes in the set

The full package adds up to 82 pieces: the 78 containers of various sizes, one tray to hold them, a snap-shut lid, and two sheets of labels for marking bead types or colors on the containers or the tray itself. The clear plastic construction on both the tray and the individual containers keeps contents visible without opening anything, which speeds up finding the right color or size mid-project. Because the containers vary in size rather than being uniform, the set can hold a wider range of bead sizes at once compared with an organizer where every compartment is identical, though that also means larger containers take up proportionally more tray space.

How the system holds together

The tray's snap-shut lid is the main thing keeping all 78 loose containers in place during storage or a move across a room, and the system depends on that lid staying properly latched, since the containers themselves are not individually locked into the tray. If the tray is tipped while the lid is off, mid-transfer, or not fully snapped shut, containers can shift or spill rather than staying fixed in a molded slot the way a one-piece organizer's sections would. This tradeoff comes with the benefit of removable containers, so anyone weighing a fixed-compartment box against this system should factor in how carefully the tray will typically be handled.

How it compares to other bead organizers

This organizer ranks fourth in its own guide, just behind Darice's 32-compartment no-spill box, which trades removable containers for molded compartments with a grooved lid built specifically to resist spilling. It ranks ahead of a 36-grid tackle-style box and a 30-grid diamond painting organizer, both simpler flat-compartment designs without Elizabeth Ward's removable-container flexibility. The Beadsmith's 55-piece carrying case and 18-compartment locking box, both ranked above it in the guide, add either bundled tools or a more secure double-sided lock that this tray-based system does not include, which is the main gap separating it from the top of the ranking.

Bottom line

For anyone managing a large or varied bead collection who wants the flexibility of pulling individual containers out to work with or refill, Elizabeth Ward's 78-container tray system offers more sorting granularity than a fixed-compartment box. The tradeoff is a tray that can spill its loose containers if tipped without the lid fully snapped shut, and the smallest containers are limited to smaller beads rather than bulkier components. Large seed bead collections are the clearest use case for this system's strengths, particularly for anyone who wants to grab a handful of containers for a single project rather than moving the whole tray.

Frequently asked questions