The rectangular dishes generally have two rows of wells, with one row being square and the other being circular. The circular dishes are also known as "flowers" and have a central well surrounded by anywhere from six to eight wells.
The shallow wells make it easy to pick up seed beads onto your needle when stitching, and because they are relatively heavy, there is less chance that you will accidentally knock them over and spill your beads. They keep your beads neatly separated, and the light color of the dishes make it easy to see your beads.
Ceramic bead dishes are widely available at art supply stores and from some of the large beading suppliers. They are generally less expensive if they are purchased from a beading supply company instead of an art supply company, but some bargains can be found from some discount art supply chains.
Avoid using plastic watercolor trays, as the static than builds up in these trays will have you chasing your beads around before you catch one on your needle.
Pros:
- Great for working on projects with multiple bead types and colors
- Heavy and somewhat difficult to tip over
- Available from both beading supply companies and art supply companies
- Easy to pick up beads from each well
- Keeps beads separated
Cons:
- Not easily portable
- No way to cover them up to prevent spills when traveling