Apostyle outlines the best solutions for organizing your jewelry. We have ideas and jewelry storage solutions to suit any budget, space allotment and personal style.
How To Organize Your Jewelry
+ Tips, Tricks and Inspiration
Many of us have a tough time sorting through our jewelry and finding that specific piece to go with our outfit, leaving us annoyed, and our jewelry in an even bigger mess than it was before. If organization isn't your forte, you're tired of tangled necklaces, or you are looking for new ideas on how to organize your jewelry, you will find everything you're looking for here. You will find ideas and jewelry storage solutions for any budget, space allotment and personal style.
I have had a number of you comment about your jewelry organization (or lack of), and have heard things such as: you don't have a good place to store your jewelry, you have a tough time finding what you want each day, and one fantastic customer (you know who you are) asked me to write a blog about how to store and organize her jewelry. This is for all of you!
Best For Small Spaces or Travel
Whether you have limited space at home, or you travel a lot, a great item to have is a Jewelry Case. You can find them in various sizes to suit your needs and jewelry collection, come in many different styles (hanging or book-style) and price ranges. These types of cases can be difficult to find in stores throughout the year, but come Christmas season you may see them everywhere (I've seen them at Gap, Ikea, drug stores, department stores, etc). If you aren't willing to wait till then, you can find anything online at any point of the year (isn't online shopping great?!).
Here are two of my favorites - a book style organizer from Clos-ette, and a hanging system from The Container Store.
From Clos-ette, the Signature Travel Jewelry Case allows you to add or remove the ultra-suede pages to accommodate what you need and it will solve all of your organization, jewelry protection problems. This is a great solution for travel or if you don't have the counter or drawer space for other organizers. Below is an image of these fantastic cases.
Another great space-saving option is to get a hanging organizer. These are great because you can hang them in your closet, door knob, back of the door...just about anywhere, and they don't take up any space. Tougher to find in stores, but easily found online, these are generally more cost effective than a book-style system. Below is a picture of one from The Container Store.
Grown Up Jewelry Box
When you read "jewelry box" do you instantly think of the childhood music box with a spinning ballerina? If you do, we may be kindred spirits. But long gone are the days of my jewelry collection ever fitting in something like that. I now have a more adult version- multi levels, velvet lined and much more grown-up (although I do wish it would play music when it opened, perhaps something by Mariah Carey or Fugees). I love having this because it sits on top of my dresser and is a great way to keep my earrings and rings separate from my necklaces. The one I own is by Umbra, and though no longer available, they have a number of great jewelry boxes and storage solutions you should check out. Another good place to look is The Container Store, they have some very nice and practical boxes that won't be an eye-sore on your shelf or counter.
Acrylic
Acrylic isn't just for nails back in 1999. Using Acrylic organizers for your jewelry (or makeup) is a simple, modern way to store your pieces and thanks to the opacity, you can easily find what you are looking for without having to open every drawer or box. You can get a larger display to put on a counter or shelf, or you can get a smaller unit to fit inside your drawers. Again, from The Container Store there are many different designs you can get at different price points. For all of you Canadians, another place to look is Home Sense.
The Cadillac
A wall mounted jewelry organizer is the Cadillac of all organizers. Large and in charge, this type of design requires space, costs more than other styles of organizers, and you need lots of jewelry to fill them! Well, maybe not. They do come in different sizes, but when it comes to these, size matters. Go big, or go home. Apart from having a ton of space to put all of your jewelry, they also come with interior lights and a mirror. If souped-up Cadillacs, complete with hydraulics, wheel spinners and tinted windows is what you want, there's a jewelry Armoire for you! The best of both styles I have found are from Hammacher Schlemmer, a company known for quality.
My Personal Favorite
If you want to save money on actually buying jewelry instead of just storing it, Ikea has the perfect solution. Giving up a sock drawer, I bought the Ikea Komplement drawer inserts. I cut one to fit in the bottom of my drawer, and another so that it rested on the top of the drawer, creating a multi level jewelry drawer. These felt inserts have different size compartments for different items, and the soft felt won't scratch your jewelry. Cost effective and customizable, this is my go-to!
Additional Jewelry Storage Tips & Resources
- Any flatware drawer tray can be used for jewelry, make up, toiletries, etc. Find one that you like and it's ready to go! Place it in a drawer or if you don't have the space, you can just as easily put it on a shelf.
- Small zippered plastic bags are the perfect solution to keeping your jewelry from getting tangled, scratched and tarnished. By keeping your jewelry in individual bags you can easily see what's inside and save time by sorting through tangled chains or opening boxes. You can find these at dollar stores, craft stores (like Michaels), or party suppliers. I get mine from Creative Packaging because of their great variety of sizes.
- To make your morning routine easier, organize your necklaces by length. Grouping together the short lengths, medium lengths, and long lengths in separate spots. This will help you grab what you need according to your neckline and layering needs. To read the blog about Necklaces and Necklines, click here. Not sure how to layer your necklaces, click here to read our Ten Simple Guidelines To Layering.
For even more ideas, here are some additional links to blogs, DIY ideas, and stores to help you with all your jewelry organizational needs:
- Martha Stewart : Making your own wall mounted jewelry cabinet
- Gurl.com : 14 Easy Tips On How To Organize Your Jewelry
- WhoWhatWear.com : Inspiring Ways To Organize Your Jewelry
- Curbly.com : Ikea Hack: How to Make the Ultimate Jewelry Storage Solution
- Temptalia.com : How to Store Jewelry