Clearly Helena: Beading Mat Tray

This is the easiest DIY Beading Mat Tray ever! And for me, The Best! All my specifications are met! OK, it is not pretty (but you can beautify it easily). But it is not ugly either. Best of all – it works and has special bonuses!

So let me tell you why I even had to make a bead mat tray. I had previously made another, which can be found at Non-slip Bead Mat Tray. That lasted me 6-12 months only. And it had the annoying square corners that caught beading thread all the time. This one is much better. For many reasons. So let me tell you my specifications for a bead mat tray.

DIY Bead Mat Tray Specifications – Must Haves

rounded corners (I hate the thread always catching on square corners)
non-slip (annoying when the bead mat goes sliding away or if windy, gets lifted up)
not expensive
not too hard or complex to make

Beading Mat Tray Bonuses

Like I said, this one has bonuses – i.e. beyond the must-haves above.

easily change bead mats (to clean, wash, or just for a different coloured-mat)
can have double layered bead mat on tray (I like puffy-ier mats to work on.)
double sided
can easily replace ALL components. The “hardest” bit would be getting new bead mats. But that is not so hard. Plus bead mats can be easily washed and cleaned. Last for years!

Note: I do know there are lovely looking bead mat trays out there. But this is way cheaper. And you can interchange beading mats whenever you like.

Let's go then...

How o Make the Easiest Beading Mat Tray

1) I got a tray/board with rounded corners. (I got this from the local Op Shop for the massive price of $1!! This one happens to be glass but it can be plastic, wood, whatever.)

2) Grab a pair of stockings (i.e pantyhose, tights). Discards or old stockings would be just fine. (I used one that I was going to throw out anyway.)

Now pull the waist-band part of the stockings over the tray so that there is a rim as per photo here.

Note: The depth of the rim is important. You will be tucking your bead mats under that.

3) Flip over to look at the other side. It looks like this.

4) Cut off the legs of the stockings. Make sure you leave a rim around the board. As shown.

Note: The depth of the rim is important. You will be tucking your bead mats under that.

5) Then get your beading mats. Neatly tuck the sides and corners of the beading mat under the stocking-rims. You can do both sides of the tray. You will then you a double-sided beat mat tray. Which is handy when you want different mat colours for different projects.

You can also have it just one-sideed.

I have tucked mats into both side. I used 2 beading mats per side so it is extra cushiony.

There you go. Wasn’t that super simple? It was probably harder to write this post than it was to made the beading tray!

What?! You want an even easier DIY Bead Mat Tray?? So …

How to make an Even Easier Beading Mat Tray

I got an old baking tray with rounded corners. That is important to prevent threads catching on corners when working.

I got this from the local Op Shop. Again $1.

In this instance, my baking tray was a bit smaller than my beading mat. So I had to cut to shape.

Draw outline on beading mat. Use the bottom of the baking tray as template.