Diamond Painting Storage || Two Alternatives to Elizabeth Ward (going out of business?)
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- Опубликовано: 1 дек 2024
- Hello friends!
Today we're talking about two alternatives to the super popular diamond painting drill storage and organization solution, the Elizabeth Ward/Darice set. Rumors have been swirling that they’re in the process of going out of business, so I thought we could try out a couple of close alternatives at varying price points. Hopefully one or both will work for you!
✨ Elizabeth Ward (or Darice) 45-piece Bead Storage Set (affiliate link): www.amazon.com...
✨ Cottage Mills DotBox Medium Set (Amazon, affiliate link): www.amazon.com...
✨ Cottage Mills DotBox Medium Set (Company Website): www.cottagemil...
✨ Beadsmith Bead Set (Amazon, affiliate link): www.amazon.com...
✨ Beadsmith Bead Set (Company Website): www.beadsmith.com
✨ Dazzle Driller's IG: / dazzledriller
✨✨ Happy Mail Form: forms.gle/TEB7... ✨✨
I’d love if you waved hello in the comments, let me know if you have any questions, and share anything you might like to see on my channel. Also, I’d love to connect with you either here or in the Instagram diamond painting community (link below). Thank you for being here!
✨Katie
Email: diamondsandwashi@gmail.com
Instagram: / diamonds_and_washi
✨✨✨
Accessories, tools, etc. that I use and recommend (sorted by category): www.amazon.com...
Please note, this is an affiliate link as I'm part of the Amazon Influencer Program, and I may make a small commission on any purchases made through this link.
I’m a Diamond Art Club affiliate! Click here and use the code “KATIE15” for 15% off your first purchase: www.diamondart... (Note: I will make a small commission on any purchases that use my link/code, which will go right back into my channel. Thank you in advance if you choose to use these!)
#diamondpainting #elizabethward #diamondpaintingstorage
Here I am, watching this 3 years after you posted it, and YEP... I've used every one of those systems. It's funny, but it seems to be the never-ending quest to diamond painting to find just the RIGHT "storage/use" container systems for our particular needs. I've used all of the ones you've shown here and many... many... more. I still have them all, and have my own pros/cons to each, but have found it kind of depends on project to project. I will say the "Elizabeth Ward/Darice" storage is probably the best out there - but not if you care about your nails (they are crazy hard to open, in my experience - and I don't like having to fiddle with tools just to open my storage boxes). The DOTS system worked for me for awhile, but yes they are a bit flimsy and do kind of wear out over time. Even 3 years later (after the making of this video), I can say that I have yet to find the absolute "perfect" storage system that ticks all or most of the boxes on **every** painting I work on. The quest continues....
Thank you for the review, I've seen one of these on Amazon and was wondering about getting it. But personally, I really enjoy the screw-lid round containers, especially the ones that come in the cases you can zip up and move around the house easily, they look very neat too. For big bags of drills I just spill them into 2 or 3 containers and as I keep them in numerical order, I don't bother labelling every container, just the first one. It works well for me but everyone is different of course!
I have a similar process and find it works really well. The screw on lids are nice because if you drop it you know it won’t pop open and cause a disaster!
I totally hear you both! I used one of the cases with the screw-top lids inside for my giant Josephine Wall kit and it was really convenient to pack up! I really love that there are so many options out there, so we can all find something that works for us and our crafting styles.
I love the Harbor Freight containers best of all. I have 4 sets of them.
The HFs are a fantastic budget-friendly option, for sure!
I own 9 of the Elizabeth Ward containers. I've been using them for years in my cardmaking, but I only paid between $8.99 and $11.99 for them. Up until about 2 years ago, that was their normal price. Believe it or not, the diamond painting community is what drove the price up. The company got greedy and knew we wanted them. I won't buy them just on principle now. I love the harbor freight and the bottle storage. Rebecca of 4Kidsat147 showed the beadsmith storage, but hers was so bowed, the diamonds fell right out, so she couldn't use it. I thought it looked awesome and wanted to try one, but was leery. I'm happy to see that yours worked, so perhaps she just got a bad one. The dotbox storage is cool looking, but ridiculously priced. Great job on showing the pros and cons of each of them for us. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh, wow, Susan, I had no idea about the pricing on the Elizabeth Ward containers! That's unbelievable, and super disappointing. I would have loved to pay around that $10 mark each, that's so much more reasonable.
You know, a number of reviews on Amazon mentioned issues with bowed plastic, but they seemed to be older. Maybe Beadsmith fixed the issue? That's a bummer for Rebecca, though.
Thank you for watching!
I've been looking at the Cottage Mills Dot Box. Thanks for the review
Thank you! I have gone back and looked at this video. I need some alternatives for storage! I ended up ordering Dot Box.
I am from Canada and here the Elizabeth Ward are so expensive, I am glad that you have done this video.
A little trick to open the Elizabeth containers, is use the end of our pink diamond pen. Keeps the nails safe.
I love that, thank you! I've used the flat end of my tweezers before but don't always have them handy (like I do my pen). Anything to keep the nails safe, ha!
I have the Elizabeth Ward set with the tiny container's only. I bought 2. One has 37 containers and the other has 72. I love them. My extra drills I put in a baggie and fill when needed. It works for me. After a project I remove the sticker and throw out the extra drills. It's more economic for me to reuse than keep buying more containers. If that makes sense 😊
I love that you tried each of these for a full kit! Your opinions are always so genuine 💛. My favorite has always been the EW. I love the sizes, and being able to mix and match the containers (since I have 2 sets + extras). My OCDness makes me need to have all the drills fit in one container! I’m very curious how the AliExpress version compares!
I saw 4KidsAt147 do a comparison video of the EW & the Ali X (huacan I think) version. The only difference are the handles on the side, the Ali X ones have something on them that makes them unable to stack with the original EW's, tho not sure if they could stack with their own type or not. If that makes any sense?! Besides the stacking, they were very similar, and even a bit easier to open than the o.g. EW's... hope that helps!
I almost filmed this as an unboxing instead, but I'm SO glad that I worked on each with a full kit first. You notice quirks over time, right? But for sure, EW will always be my go-to! We have similar OCD-ness, haha.
Thank you for sharing.. now we have more choices..
I have used the little round bottles for my 1st 2 kits. It’s been working great, but they don’t hold a ton. I finally received Harbor Freight containers in the mail yesterday as my local store didn’t have them. I’m anxious to try them on my next kit!
I totally hear you on the round bottles! They’re nice in that they don’t fall open, but I do wish they held more. I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the Harbor Freights! They’re a fantastic, budget-friendly option too!
Thanks for the info, Katie.
🌴☀️🌴
I love your explanations on the two alternatives to your favorite Elizabeth Ward system. My question, as a new Diamond crafter is …do you kit up for each painting and when you finish do you “unkit” your storage box and put your unused drills back in plastic bags or just keep them in the storage and mark which kit you used the drills with? Wasn’t sure what to do with and how to store multiple unused drills from multiple kits. Thanks so much!!!
Mindy from Mindy's Diamond Moment loves her Harbor Freight 25 box storage container.
I like Harbor Freights too! I'll be sharing more of my thoughts on them in a Part 2 :)
Amazon has Elizabeth Ward right now so I just stocked up just in case they don't make it any more. Thanks for letting me know.
Expensive like $80 buck. That kinda steep just for container
I have not tried any of these sets, but I do really like my Harbor Freight 25 box storage system (I have 4 of them), and they are only $5.99 on Harbor Freight's website. xoxo 💜
I like the HF sets too, and I'm thinking I'll share about them in a Part 2. I left them out of this one mostly because they aren't available outside of the US, and since they only have the one size of container. But they're such a good budget-friendly option!
@@DiamondsandWashi I'm Canadian and can't wait for the borders to open up so I can get my hands on these much talked about HF containers!! Thanks for being considerate to international viewers. In the mean time I'll settle on knock of ali express elizabeth ward containers. I was wondering why Amazon wasn't restocking. Thanks for solving the mystery as I am new to DP. 🙏
@@cloudia413 Harbor Freight will not ship to Canada unfortunately. I have sent them emails and offered to pay the shipping but they wouldn't ship them to me. I ended up getting a friend of a friend to purchase them for me just before Christmas in 2019 and then ship them to me. I now have 6 sets and I love them..... but I did pay alot for them between the dollar conversion and the shipping!!
@@crafterwithfibro5053 Wow you went far to get those containers! I think I'll be able to wait until the end of the year when I think borders will open up again and I'll be sure to stock up on lots of HF then. 😊
This video really helped n the comments as well. Thanks everybody
Great video! I have 3 EW sets, one in each size plus I bought some extras of the medium containers in swap. I have the set that Dazzle Driller recommended but haven’t used it yet. I love the EW though and my Harbor Freight!
How many storage boxes do u have. Do u have one for each painting.
No, I have about 5 storage containers. I mistyped; only 2 EW. Sadly, I have many more canvases 😉
Those are great options, for sure!
Thanks for this video. I had both of those in my wish list and glad to know I can now remove them. I’ve also tried harbor freights and may be the only person who doesn’t like those either. I’ll just be stocking up on the Elizabeth Wards!!
I'm glad it was helpful for you! You know, I want to love the HFs for the price point, but I don't find myself reaching for them unless it's for a special drill project. I'm with you in just wanting to stockpile those Elizabeth Ward sets!
Can you show how you make you labels for kitting up your containers? How you cut sticker up?
Thank you for the presentation. I’m going to order the Cottage Mills box set. When I pull out a drill color, I don’t put it back after I’m done, since there’s always some symbols that you miss and have to pull them out again anyway. I usually pull all the colors that I’m going to use for that area and when I’m done diamond painting for the day, that’s when I put everything back in the box. I love this set, since I have so many diamond paintings that have one pack of drills and now I’ll have the tiny ones for those. It drives me crazy to put only one pack of drills on a big container. Thanks again😀😀
Oh yay! I'm so glad it was helpful, Josiane, and you'll have to let me know what you think! I really do like the Cottage Mills set a lot, and definitely see myself using it often in the future. I hope you love it!
@@DiamondsandWashi Hi, I just wanted to give you an update on the Cottage Mills Dot Box. My order came in and I love them. I bought 2 sets, so I can interchange the pieces depending on the diamond painting. In your video you were saying how the little pieces were not falling in to place no matter how much you tried, I figure out, that if you press down lightly, they fall right in to place and they all seat straight up. I hope it works for you.
They have tons on Amazon now. I just bought two the other day.
Hi Katie. Thanks for sharing your thought here. I have the Elizabeth ward and I have just recently got a similar set from Ali Express for a quarter of the price. I have to say there is nothing in it- no difference at all. This may be your solution.
Thank you so much, Sheila! I'm hoping my AliExpress set will arrive before too long - I'm anxious to get my hands on it and see what (if any) differences I notice besides the handles. It's definitely a more budget-friendly option!
Tip..... When you are opening the Elizabeth Ward containers, to avoid damaging your nails, use one of the straighteners on the back of your pens. It pops them open really easily and no damage to your nails! I've used the Bead Smith set before and they warp really badly over time unfortunately because it used to be one of my favorites ☹️
Thank you for the tip! That's a great idea! I've used the flat end of my tweezers before, but I didn't have them handy and just totally blanked on mentioning it. But a straightener on your pen is even more convenient, i love that! I'm sorry to hear that about your Beadsmith set. Unfortunately, that's definitely my worry too, with how bendy the plastic was even for the short time I worked on this kit.
Ive tried the Beadsmith ifbits not already there after awhile the boxes get a gap that doesn't completely close correctly so igave those up and I also have the original Elizabeth Ward case and the Aliexpress generic are exactly the same except for the end tabs to close the case. For now I'll stick to my DollarTree containers.
I had the same issue with the Beadsmith ones. Some of them also stopped staying closed after a while.
#replay Thank you for the review. I wanted to make sure that the EW on Amazon was not an imitation brand. Marie 💖💎
I have wanted the EW. When I have gone to the craft stores they have been sold out. When I think of buying off Amazon I am broke. So I bought four Harbor Freights instead. I had been working out of baggies. I love the HF. They do not have different sizes so that is one strike. Probably the biggest strike is you can only get them in the US. Thanks for the review. I had looked at the bead box before getting the HF.
You totally nailed it, Anne! Those are the two reasons I didn't include HFs in this video, but I'm definitely planning to chat about them in a Part 2. They're a fantastic budget-friendly option and work well!
I may eventually get the Cottage Mills set but I decided to pick up two more EW in the meantime (maybe I’ll do that J Wall at some point after all 😂). I’ll try not to pick a fairly boring one though.
Girrrrl 🤣
Thank you very much for this, it really helped me! I've been looking for the elizabeth ward container for a while and wondering if there is any alternative because a couple I found was either around $100 or doesn't ship to US (a suit) nor Japan. thank you thank you thank you!
I’m so glad this was helpful for you! I hope you like the set you order!
Cottage mills has a cool set. If you want the large one like diamond
If you want the large one on cottage mills website. Diamond junkie has the large.
I want one with all cubes
Well, you are talking about cottage mills. So you already know about them.
I also bought glass bottles with cork lids. I ordered 50 and received 54. I put them in a deceptive box and the fit perfect and real easy to open. If you go to my bio, I have them and all kinds of storage kits.
I have spent a ton of money on storage boxes and now I use the baggie holder from bellartdenicole. I use it all the time now.
Have you tried Harbor Freight bead storage.
Thanks for the storage ideas. I do have one question, if I do find the EW on Amazon, I would only be able to get one at a time since it is kind of expensive, which one would you think a beginner like me would get, the mixed one 45 pieces or the 82 one with just the small ones?
Definitely the mixed 45 pieces!
I agree- I'd start with the mixed 45!
I completely agree with Steph and KC - I highly recommend starting with the mixed 45-piece set! The small ones that come with the 82 really are small and don't fit anywhere near your standard DAC drill bag, for example.
Thanks!!! I went with the 45 piece
I’ve been doing diamond painting for a few years now, but there’s one new thing that I’ve only recently seen. How do you get the symbols on the storage containers? I always draw them on, but that’s kind of a pain.
Hi Trista! If the kit didn't come with the symbols on a sticker sheet, I'll often take a picture and/or scan a copy of the legend on the canvas, then print that out and run that paper through a sticker maker like this one: a.co/d/09alGee Which I can then cut and put on the containers. If you run into issues with the sticker being too hard to peel off the container, you can put a layer of washi tape on the container first, then put the label/sticker/symbol on the washi tape.
I hope that helps!
I love my Elizabeth Ward Storage System. I have the 82 Tiny Container Tray. I got it last year in February and it was 24 dollars. At the time, I wasn't thinking about how many drills could fit into the containers. I just thought it was a good price for the amount of containers you get. I've since purchased the small, medium, and large individual containers. I've realized I didn't really need the large containers. I have so many containers now, I wish they would just sell the tray by itself.
Don't know if you were aware but HAED is having a 15% sale on their Crown Jewel canvases. It ends at midnignt on 2/26. I was going to take advantage of the sale but I much prefer their cross stitch chart selections better.
They do sell just the tray by itself!
@@sfspurri Thanks for letting me know. Where can I buy it?
@@kris7865 Target and Walmart! Just Google Elizabeth Ward tray and it should show up on the shopping/products bar
@@sfspurri Thank you so much. I found it on Target's website!
@@kris7865 you’re very welcome! 🤗
I would love too own HF containers but I live in England and the shipping is really expensive. I love my cottage mills box I have the medium size
I have 2 of the Elizabeth Wards and I hate them! I'm thinking of using them for leftover drills because I paid a fat price for them but ugh. I just can't. Mine didn't close securely or were too hard to open...no. then I tried Harbor Freight and no. Flimsy, loose in the carrying box, but the price was right. I figured out finally it's the attached lids I really dislike. I discovered bead storage boxes at Wal-Mart. Kind of flat, clear plastic circles, not the tube, these are wider, with screw top lids. 24 to a box, around $9. I love these. Easy to pour out, easy to pour back in, the lids come fully off...there is only the one size but I'm ok with that, I just use more than one for larger colors if necessary. Drill storage is seriously so personal, its like your purse! Everyone likes something different! I've never seen these other two systems before so interesting!
You've totally nailed it! It's like all diamond painting accessories - it's super personal and different things are going to work for different people. Really, thank goodness we have SO many options! I'm intrigued by your Wal-Mart finds - I want to say I've seen someone share those before, but I'm not sure. I'll have to go poke around!
I wish I had done a little bit more research before I really came into the hobby about two weeks ago. I managed to completely ruin my first diamond painting and had to trash it, then I realised I needed something for drill storage. I got the first thing that came up in Amazon for like $15. It's basically one big storage container with a bunch of little TicTac containers. I mean it works just fine, but it's kinda finicky and annoying to have to deal with. I'll stick with that one for a while, though, since I'm only on my first painting and won't be doing anymore for a while.
I like the beadsmith one. It seems a bit fiddly. I use a wooden box top for drill kit organization and place accessories in the box, then stack them, so the plastic storage box is not a problem. I buy empty EW trays and would like to know how these other ones would fit into a Darice tray?🖐🏼
That's a creative way to make your storage work! Whatever works for you :) Were you wondering about the AliExpress trays? Or were you thinking of taking the containers that came in the Dot Box or Beadsmith sets and seeing if they fit in the EW/Darice trays? That's definitely worth trying too!
@@DiamondsandWashi I have been kitting up in Harbor Freight containers, then long term storing in EW Darice trays. I’m kind of panicked to know they are going out of business. I was wondering how the beadsmith containers would fit into EWard trays with my existing system. I am not sure about all the different shapes, as they would be harder to organize. Lol, I don’t want to play tetris every time I need a different color, know what I mean? The EWard containers already don’t always fit in order without gaps and my OCD can barely tolerate that. I am thinking about test tubes but can’t figure out how to keep them in order. A 40 ml test tube can hold as much as the extra large EWard box and take up a lot less horizontal space, but are taller.
@@BBMc107 Ohh, I see what you’re saying! Hmm, I don’t think the Beadsmith ones would fit very well in the EW trays, I think they’re too tall. I wouldn’t panic yet! You have some options ☺️ I’m hoping to have my AliExpress EW-imitation set here soon, so that may be an option for you. Alternatively, have you ever thought about storing your leftover drills in baggies? I have all of mine in pretty storage boxes from JoAnn’s, with dividers to keep it organized.
I did notice them on Amazon, but reading the reviews I guess they make them with a cheaper plastic causing some of them to warp, crack, or the lids do not shut correctly. I do not have a set of the Elizabeth ones to compact them to so I have no idea 🤷🏻♀️. I personally use the Harbor Freight ones. They are cheap and reliable 😊
I have a set of Harbor Freights as well, and you described them perfectly! Cheap and reliable :) I didn't chat about them in this video since they're difficult for those outside the US to come by, but I'm definitely planning to include them in a "Part 2" - I just love that we have so many options!
@@DiamondsandWashi I like the HF little boxes are individual, however the SGHUO ones you have linked through amazon seem a better value, if you don't mind having 4 stuck together ~ which do you prefer and why?
I have a storage video going up soon too and I mentioned the exact same thing about the stupid finger hurting with the Elizabeth Ward containers hahaha. We don't have the Dot boxes here but it's funny how small the small ones are! SO TINY!!! And cute! Thanks for the informative video! I loooooove drill storage ideas!
Thanks
EW is my favorite
Having dropped a cheaper one and the hours of separating lol I love their tightness
Not sure about second one seems small
Definatly let us know about the EW knockoff from china
Looking forward to your next video
Yes!! Our poor nails. I totally forgot to mention the flat end of the tweezers trick, which I've totally used to open up the Beadsmith case too. Derp. Oh well. Aren't those tiny Dot Box cases so ridiculously adorable?? I just want to eat them.
I can't wait for your video!! I looove all the storage/tools/accessories videos, and obv I love all the Bev Bee videos. Thanks friend!
What are your thoughts on Harbor Freight containers?
I like them! They're a fantastic budget-friendly option, but for a few reasons (namely, that there's no variety in container sizes, and that they aren't available outside of the US) I didn't include them in this video. Though I am planning to chat about them in a Part 2 :)
Go to AliExpress. They have ones that are the exact same thing, only difference is the handles close a bit different. And they were like 1/2 the price. Just shy of $20. I use them, along with my Elizabeth Wards to store my leftover rounds. Takes 6 and 1/2 of them, using the small containers; to store all 447 colors.
I actually have one of the AliExpress sets on the way to try out ☺️ I’m curious to see how they compare to the Elizabeth Wards, as well!
@@DiamondsandWashi Except for the handles, which latch differently than Elizabeth Wards; I don't see any difference.
I noticed many EW style sets on AliExpress. Can't vouch for the quality, so caveat emptor! I have 2 sets of Harbor Freight 25 count, and found another box with 18 (?) compartments, but they don't come out, and they are smaller than HF. I think it was $4, I figured for small quantities of drills.
I actually just finished filming a video with more thoughts on my AliExpress set and the Harbor Freights, too! They're really solid options. I love how budget friendly those HFs are 💛
I have the beadsmith one, and it is not my favorite. I've used it on a frw kits now, and the boxes don't close that good anymore. I do loose drills through those gaps.
I also have the EW system of AliExpress. I have 3 sets now, and I do really like those. They are my go to. Can't compare them to the real thing, but, they are good for me.
I'm sorry to hear that about your Beadsmith set, Berlien. I'm definitely curious to see how they hold up over time, and worried that the plastic will bow more and leave larger gaps.
I hope I get my AliExpress order soon! If you want to see a side-by-side comparison with the name-brand set, Lindsay did one a few months back.
Have you tried the Harbor Freight containers, that so many seem to like?
I wish could get thoes in Canada
I have! They're a great budget option, but for a few reasons (mostly that there's no variety of container sizes, and no availability outside of the US) I decided to leave them out of this video. I'm planning to share my thoughts on them in a Part 2!
Huacan do an Elizabeth copy that is very reasonable but it takes time to arrive
Hi Hazel! I have one on the way from AliExpress (I think it was the Huacan store) that I ordered a few weeks ago. Hopefully it'll be here soon, but I expect the Lunar New Year will have delayed everything a bit.
I use Artdot diamond painting
i just bought the elizabeth ward containers so if they go out of business or whatever at least i have one
I know this video is a few months old now, but I just saw some containers on staroar that are not labeled as Elizabeth Ward, but they look exactly the same. I was wondering if anyone knows about their quality.
Hmm, I'm not sure - I'll take a look and see!
I just went to harbor freight. They have a store near me I'm going to try. I just don't know how many to get. I do not like the storage bags.
I hope you like the Harbor Freight sets! They're a really great budget option and I've definitely used them before.
Love my harbor freight! Only set back is overall size , only 24 per box , but easy to just use 2 per kit. Just can't beat how many drills each one holds and great price.
U r right. My only issue is. How many storage containers am I going to need going forward. Do u get one for each painting.
@@sylviawilson972 you absolutely do not need one for each painting. I actually bought 10 and that was way more than I need. You have to ask yourself realistically how many paintings will you kit up at a time? I never have more than 2, but some people do several more. I like to finish them before starting more, so I'll have a big one and a small kitted up at the same time. Sometimes the small one will just be a special drill painting that is quick. I would say 6 is a good number to have unless you're a hoarder like me...lol
Lol silvie I have 6 so far. I just use 2 if needed and you can put 2 or 3 extra containers at the end , they will actually hold 27 total in each one , so 2 would hold a total of 54 , that's plenty for most kits.
Its a bummer that we cant get Harbor Freight in Canada. I called them yesterday to verify what I suspected .. and no they dont ship to Canada. :(
That's such a bummer, I'm sorry! The lack of international shipping is why I didn't talk about HF in this video. If you have a friend in the States, maybe they could ship them to you?
and because im australian i cant get harbour frieght
I’ve not tried either of those.
It’s 49 pounds in the U.K. Amazon
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My luck u probably won't see this but why not I was wondering if you wanted to donate any unused diamond paintings I just started the art an I can't afford to buy any myself please. Consider
I commented on an old post so nobody will see. An make fun