A Guide to Jewelry Beads
May 29, 2026
A Guide to Bead Bound's Project Tray Sizes
If you've ever worked on a beading project with more than a handful of colors, you probably know how quickly things can get messy.
One minute everything is organized, and the next you're staring at a pile of tiny beads trying to remember which color belongs where.
That's one of the reasons I created the Bead Bound Bead Tray.
But as we've added more sizes, I've had people ask a very reasonable question:
"Which size bead tray should I get?"
The answer really depends on the type of beads you use, how many beads you typically work with, and how much room you like to have while you're working.
We currently offer four sizes of trays:
They all share some of the features that make Bead Bound trays useful, including magnetic lids, built-in magnetic needle rests, divided lettered sections, and a design that's easy to take with you... but each size has a slightly different purpose.
First, What Makes a Bead Bound Tray Different?
Before getting into the sizes, let's talk about what all four trays have in common.
Each Bead Bound tray is designed to keep your beads separated while you're working on a project. Instead of having several little containers scattered around your workspace, your bead colors can stay organized in individual sections of one tray.
The magnetic lid is especially useful if you're someone who likes to move your project around. The lid helps keep the beads in their individual sections, so you don't have to worry about turning your carefully organized project into what I like to call "bead soup."
And there's another feature that people sometimes don't notice right away: the center of the tray is magnetic. That gives you a convenient place to temporarily put your beading needle while you're working. It also allows multiple Bead Bound trays to stack together securely.
All four sizes are also designed with traveling crafters in mind. Whether you're heading to a beading group, taking a project on vacation, or simply moving from one room to another, having your beads contained in a single tray makes life a little easier.
They also come in 10 different colors!
So, which one should you choose?
The Mini Bead Tray — Small Projects and Maximum Portability
Best for: Smaller projects, travel, and smaller seed beads
The Mini Bead Tray is the smallest of the four, measuring approximately 5" × 5" × 0.4".
It has 10 individual sections and 4mm-high partition walls, making it particularly well suited for smaller seed beads. The recommended bead sizes include 15/0, 13/0, 11/0, 10/0 and 8/0.
Why choose the Mini?
Sometimes you simply don't need a large tray. If you're working on a smaller project or only need a handful of colors at a time, the Mini gives you plenty of organization without taking up much room.
It's also a great choice if portability is your priority. At only about 3 ounces, the Mini is easy to tuck into a project bag, purse, or travel kit. And because the lid is magnetic, you can move it around without constantly worrying about your beads escaping their sections.
The lower 4mm walls are another advantage when you're working with smaller beads. They make it easier to get your needle into the individual sections and pick up those tiny beads.
The Mini is a great choice if:
- You primarily work with smaller seed beads
- You work on smaller projects
- You travel with your beadwork
- You want something lightweight and compact
- You don't need deep compartments
- You want an affordable way to try a Bead Bound tray
And don't let the word "Mini" fool you. It's small, but it's still designed to give you 10 organized, lettered sections.
Shop Bead Bound Mini Tray →
Bead Bound's Mini bead tray in Lavender
The Medium Bead Tray — The Everyday All-Arounder
Best for: Everyday beading, seed beads, and projects that need more room
If the Mini is designed for smaller projects, the Medium Bead Tray is where you start getting a little more breathing room.
The Medium measures approximately 5.6" × 5.6" × 0.4" and also has 10 sections, with 4mm-high partition walls (like the Mini). It's designed for the same smaller seed bead sizes as the Mini, including 15/0, 13/0, 11/0, 10/0 and 8/0.
So what's the difference between the Mini and Medium?
Mostly space.
The Medium gives you a little more room around your project while still keeping the tray compact enough to travel with easily.
It's a great middle ground for someone who wants a tray that can handle a wide variety of projects without feeling too large on the workspace.
And just like the Mini, you can choose from different letter configurations, including A–J, K–T, or blank.
The lettered versions can be particularly handy if you're following a bead pattern that references colors by letter. Instead of constantly looking back and forth between your pattern and a pile of bead containers, you can organize your colors according to the letters you're working with.
The Medium is a great choice if:
- You primarily use 8/0 and smaller seed beads
- You want more workspace than the Mini provides
- You work on a variety of projects
- You need 10 bead sections
- You want something portable but slightly larger
- You aren't sure which size to choose
If you're thinking, "I just want one tray that will work for most of my projects," the Medium is probably the size I'd look at first.
Bead Bound's Medium bead tray in Teal
The Medium Deep — When You Need a Little More Headroom
Best for: Larger beads that need more depth
The Medium Deep is an interesting one because it's essentially the answer to a request we kept hearing:
"I love the Medium, but I need just a little more room for slightly larger beads."
So we made one.
The Medium Deep has the same basic footprint as the Medium — approximately 5.6" × 5.6" — but it's deeper, measuring about 0.5" high, but with 7mm partition walls instead of 4mm.
That extra depth makes a difference when you're working with larger beads. I don't recommend this tray for small beads. The taller partition walls make it harder for your needle to access the smaller beads.
The tray still has 10 sections like the Medium.
The Medium Deep is a great choice if:
- You're working with larger beads
- You want taller partition walls
- You need 10 individual sections
- You still want something compact enough to travel with or need to save space at your work station
The Large Bead Tray — More Room for Larger Beads
Best for: Larger beads, crystals, and projects where you need more space
At approximately 6" × 6", the Large is the biggest Bead Bound tray we currently make. It's also the deepest, with 8mm partition walls.
Unlike the other three trays, the Large has 8 sections instead of 10.
Why fewer sections?
Because this tray is designed around larger beads.
The extra space in each section makes it possible to comfortably work with beads that wouldn't be as well suited to our smaller trays. The Large is designed for sizes including 8/0, 6/0, 5/0, 4/0, 3/0 and 2/0.
This is the tray I'd look at if your projects regularly involve larger seed beads, crystals, or other larger components.
You also still get the magnetic lid and magnetic center, so you're not giving up the features that make the smaller trays convenient.
The Large is a great choice if:
- You work with larger beads
- You use crystals or other larger components
- You need taller partition walls
- You want more room in each individual section
- You want a larger workspace for your projects
The Large is less about fitting more colors and more about giving each color more room.
Bead Bound's Large bead tray in Denim Blue
So... Which Bead Tray Should You Choose?
Here's a quick overview:
Tray |
Best For |
Sections |
Wall Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | Small projects & travel | 10 | 4mm |
| Medium | Smaller seed beads & everyday projects | 10 | 4mm |
| Medium Deep | Larger beads needing extra depth | 10 | 7mm |
| Large | Large beads, crystals & more room | 8 | 8mm |
You Don't Have to Pick Just One
And here's something I think is easy to overlook:
You don't necessarily have to choose one size and stick with it.
Different projects call for different setups.
You might use a Mini for a small peyote project you're taking with you on vacation, a Medium for your everyday projects, and a Large when you're working with bigger beads or crystals.
Because the trays have magnets built into them, multiple trays can also be stacked together to create a more organized workspace... and that's really the idea behind Bead Bound.
I don't think organizing your beads should make your hobby feel like work.
You should be able to sit down, open your tray, see your colors, grab your needle and start beading.
Less time searching for beads. More time actually beading.
What About the Pour Lid?
One more thing worth mentioning if you haven't seen it yet: the Bead Bound Pour Lid.
The Pour Lid is an optional accessory that works with the Bead Bound trays. It isn't included with the trays, but it's designed to make transferring leftover beads from the tray back into their original containers much easier.
If you've ever tried to pour a pile of tiny seed beads from a flat tray back into a small bead tube, you already know why this can be useful.
Find Your Perfect Bead Tray
Whether you're a longtime beader with dozens of projects underway or you're just getting started with beading, having a dedicated place for your beads can make your workspace much more enjoyable.
The Mini, Medium, Medium Deep and Large were created for slightly different needs, but they all have the same goal:
Keep your beads organized, accessible and ready for your next project.
And if you're anything like me, once you start using one, you may find yourself thinking...
"I probably need another one in a different color." 😊
Happy beading!
— Courtney
Bead Bound
