DIY bead storage and beading board for bracelet and necklace making

As a member of the Chick-fil-A mom panel, we were given coupons to try their new Chicken Tortilla Soup and then challenged to make a fun DIY with their soup containers. Some of the moms did some amazing upcycling projects and created luminaries, succulent wall planters, play instruments, and all sorts of super crafty things, but I went practical. As soon as I saw the containers, I realized they would make the perfect DIY bead storage container. Now, I know that doesn't sound exciting because basically I repurposed something that stored soup and used it to store beads, but stay with me.  I've been redoing our art supplies now that the kiddos are able to craft more on their own and this has involved a ton of organizing. I was previously the only one using the crafting supplies and therefore knew where everything was stored. But, now that they can craft on their own, I needed to give them their own storage system so anyone can find whatever they need and then know where to put it back when they are finished.

And, if I can make it even easier for them to craft, well, that's a bonus, too. My daughter is in love with making friendship bracelets for all her friends and family members, so I wanted to find a way to store her beads as well as making bracelet crafting as easy as possible for her. Our Chick-fil-A upcycled DIY bead storage was the perfect solution because I added this nifty little hole design through the tab that allows her to tie off her creation while she works and wrap her excess elastic string when she's done.But, not only does my DIY project store beads and makes bracelet-making easy, but it also serves a super practical crafting solution. See that inset channel in the clear lid? That, my friends, is her own beading board for laying out beads as she creates her design.
Now she can lay out her designs before she strings them, which allows her to try out as many bead combinations as she'd like without having to redo necklaces and bracelets over and over again. Not only is this super practical because it makes crafting bracelets and necklaces more fun, but it also keeps the little beads from rolling off the crafting table and onto the floor. 

While you *could* spend money on a storage container and then buy a separate beading board, I love that I reused something we already had and made something that we all can use to craft together. Plus, if I need more containers, it's a great excuse to head to Chick-fil-A! That, as we all know, is a win-win-win.