So I’ve been crafting for a while now - diamond painting, a bit of resin work, some sticker stuff on the side - and the one thing that kept driving me nuts wasn’t the projects themselves. It was finding my supplies. I’d spend ten minutes digging through plastic bags and random containers looking for a specific shade of drill or a particular glitter pigment. Sound familiar?
About six months ago, I switched most of my craft storage over to small glass jars, and it’s been one of those changes where you wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Everything is visible, nothing gets mixed up, and my workspace actually looks like a workspace instead of a junk drawer.
Why Do Glass Containers Work So Well for Craft Storage?
The short answer is that you can see through them. I know that sounds obvious, but it matters more than you’d think when you’ve got 40 different colors of resin pigment or diamond painting drills sorted by DMC number.
Plastic bags crush things. Plastic bins hide things. But a clear glass jar sitting on a shelf? You spot what you need in seconds. And unlike plastic containers that get cloudy and scratched over time, glass stays clear for years. I’ve got jars I’ve been using since I started crafting and they still look brand new.
There’s a durability factor too. Glass doesn’t absorb pigment or resin residue the way plastic does. If you’ve ever stored glitter in a plastic container, you know what I mean - that stuff embeds itself into the surface and never fully comes out. With glass, a quick rinse and it’s clean. You can reuse the same small glass jars across totally different projects without worrying about cross-contamination.
And here’s something I didn’t expect: glass jars are actually better for light-sensitive supplies. Some resin pigments and UV-reactive materials degrade faster when exposed to light over time. UV-resistant amber glass blocks the wavelengths that cause that breakdown. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, proper storage conditions - including light protection - significantly extend the usable life of light-sensitive materials.
What Size Glass Jars Work Best for Different Crafts?
This is where it gets fun, because there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on what you’re storing.
For diamond painting drills, 5ml jars are pretty much perfect. They hold a solid amount of one color without being so big that the drills get lost at the bottom. I organize mine in rows on a shallow tray, labels facing out. It’s way better than those tiny ziplock bags that came with my kits - what a difference!
For resin pigments, glitter, and mica powders, I’d go with 5ml to 9ml depending on how much of each color you use. The wider-mouth versions make it easier to scoop powder out with a small spatula. And if you’re working with resin craft supplies regularly, having dedicated jars for each pigment means you’re not constantly washing containers between colors.
Beads, sequins, and small embellishments? Medium jars (15ml to 30ml) give you room to actually see what’s inside and reach in without spilling. I keep my seed beads in these and it’s made a massive difference compared to the original packaging they came in.
For bigger items like washi tape rolls, paint tubes, or cutting tools, glass jars aren’t really the move. But for anything small, loose, and easy to lose? Glass is the way to go.
How Should You Label and Organize Your Glass Jar Collection?
Look, I’m not going to pretend I have some perfect Pinterest-worthy system. But I’ve tried enough methods to know what actually works day-to-day.
First off, label the lids, not the sides. When your jars are sitting on a shelf, you’re usually looking down at them or pulling them out by the top. A small round label on the lid with the color name or DMC number saves you from tilting every jar to read it. I use a basic label maker, but even masking tape and a marker works fine.
Sort by project type first, then by color or category within each type. I keep all my diamond painting accessories and drill jars together on one shelf, resin stuff on another, and general craft embellishments in a separate section. Trying to organize everything by color across different craft types sounds nice in theory but falls apart fast when you actually need to find something.
If you’re dealing with a lot of jars (and trust me, the collection grows), shallow drawer organizers or spice rack-style shelving work great. The key is being able to see all your jars at once without stacking them. Stacking leads to the same problem as plastic bins - stuff gets buried and forgotten.
And a practical tip: keep a few empty jars on hand. Nothing’s more annoying than starting a new project and realizing you need to sort a batch of supplies but have nowhere to put them. I always keep a small stash of empty glass jars ready to go.
What About Storing Craft Supplies You Travel With?
This was actually the thing that sold me on glass jars for good. I do a lot of crafting at my friend’s place and at local craft meetups, so portability matters.
Good glass jars with proper lids don’t leak. That’s the whole thing. I’ve thrown a pouch of 5ml jars filled with diamond drills into my bag, driven across town, and everything stayed exactly where it was supposed to be. Try that with those flimsy plastic containers that pop open if you look at them wrong.
The trick is to pick jars with threaded lids (screw-on) rather than press-fit ones. Threaded closures create a tighter seal and don’t pop open under pressure. For anything really messy - like loose glitter or liquid resin pigments - I double-check the seal and toss the jars in a small ziplock as a backup. Better safe than sparkly.
One thing I’ve noticed is that glass adds a bit of weight compared to plastic. For everyday carry, it’s not a big deal. But if you’re packing a full kit for a weekend retreat, you’ll want to be selective about what comes along. I usually bring just the colors I’ll need for the specific project rather than my entire collection.
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Can Glass Jars Replace All Your Craft Storage?
Not really, and I think it’s worth being upfront about that. Glass works brilliantly for small, loose items that you need to see and access frequently. But larger supplies, fabric, paper stock, tools - those need different solutions.
What glass jars do is solve the most annoying storage problem crafters deal with: the dozens (or hundreds) of tiny things that get lost, mixed up, and scattered across your workspace. Once those are handled, the rest of your storage actually becomes easier to manage too.
I started with about 20 jars for my diamond painting drills. Six months later, I’m up to probably 60 jars across all my crafts. And I’ve spent less time looking for supplies than I ever did before. That’s not nothing! Totally worth the switch.
The glass vs plastic debate really comes down to what you’re storing. For the small stuff? Glass wins every time. The American Chemical Society notes that glass is chemically inert, meaning it won’t react with or absorb the materials stored inside - which is exactly what you want for craft supplies that need to stay pure and uncontaminated.
Shop Glass Storage for Your Craft Supplies
Ready to get your craft supplies organized? Our glass jars and containers collection has sizes from 5ml drill jars all the way up to larger storage options. Check out the glass jars by size page to find the perfect fit for your specific craft, or browse our precut squares and diamond painting accessories while you’re at it.
Ultimately, getting organized doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A handful of glass jars, some labels, and a bit of shelf space is all it takes. Your future self - the one who finds exactly what they need in five seconds flat - will be grateful. At Kraft & Kitchen, we carry the supplies you need to make every project easier.
