Heart of Glass

I picked this nickel plated key chain up from Artbeads over a year ago. It's a nice key chain, but the post in the middle is so thick that none of the beads I had on hand actually fit. I don't remember where those Bali style spacer beads came from, but I think it was Oriental Trading Company. So anyway, I put the spacer beads on the key ring, and that was all I did with it for a long time.

I found the key ring while digging through my stuff, looking for potential destash listings. On a whim, I tried to fit one of my Indonesian recycled glass beads on there. Even THAT didn't quite make it onto the screw in post. Fortunately, in the past year, I finally invested in a bead reamer (it set me back a whopping $6). I don't know how I ever survived without a bead reamer.

What are the tools of the trade for your favorite hobby?  Have you acquired a tool, thinking it was just going to be a "nice to have," only to find it was a REALLY NICE to have?  If you had to rebuild your workshop from scratch, what are the first five tools you would buy?

 Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, handcrafted in Hawaii!