Cheap and Easy Organizing Hacks for Small Components

I just wanted to share couple of tricks I’ve been using to organize my small components.

I know there are dedicated solutions for this, but for my novice needs they tend to be too expensive and take too much space. Hera are couple alternative ideas, maybe someone will get some inspiration or ideas from it.

Supplies

• Organizer box for diamonds (for diamond paintings)
• Any organizer box from hardware store with smallest compartments.
• Label stickers

Step 1: Repurpose Diamond Painting Organizer

At some point I discovered that my wife's and kid's diamond painting set had really cool organizers, so I looked them up online. What I found was quite good small containers with really low price. They are at least 2 times cheaper, per one box, than cheapest electronics organizers. In most cases they even come with label stickers, but it's not a problem, you can get stickers from everywhere.

Biggest boxes have the best value, 56 compartments per box.

Step 2: Surface Mount Components

In my case I use them for small surface mount components. The capacity is quite perfect for my needs. One container fits 200 LED's (quite large 5730 ones) with more than one third of space to spare. At the moment i do not have too many of them, but I am already exapanding and for sure going to use same system.

You can store any small items in them, watch parts, tiny nuts, bolts or sqrews etc..

Step 3: Lets Upgrade Stock Organizers

For larger components I use off the shelf organizers from hardware store. They have only one problem, all of them have too large compartments. So in my case I use plastic from old jerrycans and cut out dividers using exacto knife. Existing dividers can be used as templates.

Of course there is option to 3D print your spacers, but the idea is the same, make the existing containers smaller. You can even split one container to 4 if needed.

I use hot-glue to fix existing and new spacers, last thing you want is for your components to mix because of a loose divider.

Step 4: Final Thoughts

I really like this solution so I have many sections using the same upgraded organizers. I use them instead drawers, so you can take one out and use it near your project.

Same solution is in my studio for electronics components, for DIY building and robots containing bolts, screws, bearings etc. And in my garage, containing stuff for dioramas and furniture.

Not too much of a tutorial rather than couple of tips I found useful.