A Jewelry Storage Solution
So…I haven’t been completely idle over the last few days. 😉 We’ve been tackling some long overdue clearing out of linen and utility closets, as well as other projects around the house. And I’ve continued to work on my own closet. The latest project: finding a better system for storing and organizing my jewelry.
A Jewelry Organizer For A Small Space
I don’t own a lot of “fine” jewelry, but have collected quite a few costume and “semi-fine” pieces over the years. We don’t have much shelf space in the closet, so I’d mostly been storing it on hanging jewelry organizers similar to these.
But that system wasn’t ideal, as it left the pieces exposed to dust and dirt. And I’ve learned that storing necklaces hanging over long periods of time isn’t best for them either. I’m one of those out-of-sight-out-of-mind types, so I want to be able to easily see what I have.
My friend Karen (@karenmkarlsen) and I were comparing notes on jewelry storage last week, and found we’d both arrived at a similar solution.
Clear 6-Drawer Chest
Sometimes too many choices can be paralyzing, so I don’t need (or want) to be able to see my entire collection at once. I tend to wear a few favorite pieces throughout a season, and then switch some out every few weeks. So this smaller clear jewelry organizer with drawers seemed like a good solution.
I spent an afternoon going through (almost) all of my jewelry, and selected the pieces that I’m wearing most often, as well as a few brooches I’ve been meaning to wear but always forget about.
Everything else I’ve placed in individual plastic bags (or the original boxes), grouped by style in stacking trays, and placed in an out-of-the-way-but-easy-to-access storage bin. I’ve done some rearranging of my cubby area and placed the jewelry organizer on the one shelf that’s at eye level. The drawers pull all the way out for a closer look.
I think this will be a workable and efficient system.
More Jewelry Organizers
What system do you like best for organizing and storing your jewelry?
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These clear organizers are brilliant! I have jewelry all over the place — I have a lot of it (necklaces, pendants, bracelets galore, dozens of rings, many dozens of earrings, even toe rings & anklets) hanging on wooden mug holders & decorative hooks mounted on walls & the backs of doors, in hanging clear pouch organizers in the closet, in a collection of those little square train-cases we all had in the 70s for make-up & toiletries when we traveled, in pretty jewelry boxes (which I love as much as I love jewelry) in the linen closet, my closet, my husband’s closet, both bathroom vanities, on bookshelves. I was cleaning off a shelf in the closet a few months ago & found a metal candy box full of necklaces I’d forgotten I even owned! We’re designing our retirement home (we should have been in the construction phase by now, but Covid [sigh]) & I’ve spent hours trying to solve The Great Jewelry Puzzle. These clear organizers will definitely be part of that solution! Thank you.
I agree that these are perfect for organizing, all in one location, all of my jewelry except the fine pieces that I like to keep in their original box. But it looks like the boxes might possibility fit in these drawers. I have been “saving” some pieces and not wearing them because I don’t want to get them dusty and dirty but I’ve turned a new leaf and have decided to wear and enjoy everything. I am not longer saving something instead of wearing it everyday. Thank you for these great ideas.
This is crazy! Yesterday I looked at my jewelry armoire and reminded myself that I need to clean out and organize my jewelry, and maybe go to a different system. I turned toward my closet and thought, “I wonder if Susan has some ideas for how to manage jewelry?”. This morning I opened my email and there it is! They say there are no coincidences, but either way, thanks for the timely help!
I’ve been using these same storage drawers for a few years. I love them because I can see everything so easily. I’ve never been a fan of displaying things out in the open (dust), and I forget what I have if I can’t see it. The clear plastic drawers were the perfect solution!
Brilliant! Now I have a solution too–thank you!
Love the idea of using the organizers to just hold a rotating seasonal collection with the bulk stored nearby but still accessible. Too much choice if it’s all out together. Jewelry gets dated too and needs to be gone through and passed on once in awhile. Or restyled if it’s valuable but outdated ( thinking of certain inherited pieces)Honestly I wear 1/16th of all my jewelry but a neat display like this would encourage me to pull out more pieces regularly.
I use clear drawers like this for my earrings and it works so well for me.
I enjoyed this article and agree items out-of-sight are truly out-of-mind. I recently went though some major overhauls on closets (purged clothing that no longer fit, didn’t fit my lifestyle, etc) as well as shoes, purses, hats, scarves. Just this week I decided to tackle my jewelry and found items I too had forgotten about and now are really on trend. After purging dresser drawers I was able to devote one small drawer and one large drawer to jewelry. I’m all about re-purposing items so on that note I peeled off labels on empty medicine bottles that I just hadn’t gotten around to disposing of. After peeling off labels, I utilized the empty containers to store earrings (one pair per bottle) which works out great. I recently found some sticky letters at JoAnn’s Fabric store and put first letter or more (black-BL, brown-BR, etc) on outside for easier ID. It works really great (no chance of dust, lost/misplaced earring, etc.), also able to put some less chunky necklaces in containers as well. Great solution to my age old problem, rummaging to find match to earring.
This is a great post, thank you. I have a similar, tiered drawer holder, but it’s bamboo. Because I can’t see inside, I did not solve any of the problems, except dust. I love the clear drawers and will consider switching over.
PS. The black mesh liners are great. I assume they help keep things from sliding all around. In my bamboo holder, I cut soft, nonadhesive drawer liner (Con-tact brand) and that filled the same purpose.
I chose a narrow, velvet lined drawer as part of my closet system when we installed them 15 years ago. It has served as my “jewelry box” since then. I have a few lucite “hooks” that I have long necklaces hanging…I never even thought of “dust”…I will hit them with the air can today!
I have a variety of organizers for a variety of jewelry. I have several different colors and sizes of Wolf jewelry boxes. I like these because they are sturdy, have smart sized compartments for different pieces and are most importantly, tarnish proof! I have recently picked up a number of silver items and I know if they are stored in these boxes, they will be shiny and clean when I wear them.
My ‘good’ pieces are in a small box in my dresser. It’s actually a travel size Wolf box. In addition , I have velvet lined stack trays with clear lids for my costume earrings. Costume necklaces are on a stand where they hang. Easy to see everything and it’s all safe and clean.
I use clear fishing tackle boxes with various size compartments that stack. I keep them in a dresser drawer. For necklaces, I use flat trays with no lids and just stack carefully with a paper towel between them. It works great. I do want to organize them better with a more of “like with like” approach, similarly to how I organize my closet.
Good solution for the bracelet and necklaces. Years ago I bought a open wire
“female form” from Pier One and hang all my earrings on it to see in one place. It sits at the back of our vanity and looks sculptural! I agree regrading being able to see things, as well.
Fun post -thanks!
Yep, did the same thing. Except. I bought a chest of drawers for my makeup and jewelry. Well, it turned out it is all now for jewelry. I thought I wanted to hang my necklaces and bracelets. But realized they would get dusty. So I weeded through them all. Giving a lot away. And now they’re safely in Ikea storage drawers. Now the makeup.
Yes, I have a very similar system although hopefully in a few weeks I’m going to have a built-in jewelry drawer some new closet cabinetry we are having installed. Very excited about that. But in the short term this acrylic drawer system has been brilliant — I also keep a small dish at my bedside for my ring and watch and tennis bracelet as I’m typically getting into bed before I remember to remove them. Makes it easy to reach for them again in the morning too.
I have what I think is that same clear organizer! It’s great for actually being able to see what I have like you say, and I have a lot of jewelry (and a lot of scarves that I need to organize if you have ideas for that!).
I also have a vintage jewelry armoire (super cheap at estate sales) for the overflow pieces that has pull out trays, hooks for necklaces, etc – another thing to check out!
I love to use Vintage 2 tiered tidbit/server trays for displaying earrings and bracelets. They look lovely and gives me easy access! I have been able to find some in thrift shops
Well, this is timely. My jewelry is a disorganized mess right now. Your organizer seems very practical. I was thinking along the lines of some stackable divided trays. Something pretty for the top of my dresser.
Plastic storage containers for art or beading supplies with removable dividers are another solution – translucent, but what’s inside is still visible. Definitely not as pretty as the lucite, but great for drawer or shelf storage and readily available at thrift and resale shops. I also store my silver jewelry in small ziploc bags with a piece of silver paper per the advice of a Native American jeweler – it works well to prevent tarnish and earrings are always together. The silver paper is available on Amazon.
Looks great! What is the material lining the trays?
Thanks! It’s some sort of mesh fabric, came with the organizer.
Ordered! The Amazon case was much less expensive than the Container Store Unit that looks exactly the same. There must be a difference, but who really cares anymore? Thanks for the feature. I bought the bamboo storage for the bathroom vanity that you suggested about a year ago and love them. Trust you!
OMG.
I SO need to do a similar organizational event here in the land of clutter. Thanks for the inspiration.
That whimsical martini glass brooch is lurking around here somewhere, so please take a picture when you wear it. I have so many brooches inherited from my mother in law. Let’s have a resurgence of brooch wearing!
I just reorganized my jewelry in the last week. I do have most of my costume jewelry that I wear on a regular basis on a wired-lined frame (I hang earrings on the wire), which has a bar for bracelets and hooks for necklaces. My finer pieces are still in their boxes in my jewelry chest. All are within easy access. Before I was just wearing the same thing everyday. I had so much more to choose from.
Thank you so much for this timely solution for jewelary where would you suggest I look for clear jewelary organizers. Any suggestions container store????
Hi Theresa, if you click on the text in red, or on the images at the bottom of the post, it will take you directly to the products shown.
I agree! I just reorganized my jewelry using clear acrylic boxes too, and it’s so easy to see and choose what I want to wear. I love the neatness and ease of using them.
I go by this mantra after losing track of the mess and not wearing what took years to collect: and love
Keep it out and in view protected or displayed in/on plexiglass
Keep metals/colored stones together
Keep pieces – earrings, necklaces, bracelets together on necklace or bracelet stands
Rotate seasonally with your color palette – i.e., browns, oranges, deep colors go away in spring
Keep evening jewelry together and maybe put aside with related clothing
Keep watches in a watch box with a transparent top
Keep items in need of repair in a plastic bag in a reachable place to go to jewelry repair
Hi I snatched up 4 of these from Dress Barn in 2013.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270778996317346620/
I like that the last zippered pouch was not divided or sectioned so that I could put long necklaces in there. I use each one per season. Then I went back and bought a few more to have a gifts for gals heading off to the dorms so they could take jewelry with them. I really like that there are zippers — has made it easy to keep the dust off & easy to put in suitcases when moving.
I recently went through my jewelry and organized it as well- there must be something in the air right now!
I’ve done something similar with my jewelry- except I don’t like those clear plastic containers. I cleared out one of the top drawers in my bureau (there are two smaller drawers in the top row), and bought some pretty, cheap small china bowls- usually dipping bowls in a pretty pattern. I also have a larger, plastic box for my pearls, and a ring dish that I keep my earrings in. But my necklaces are all stored in these cute little dishes, in the drawer where I can see all the different pendants I have, my jade bracelet, and store the silver cleaning cloth and the spare links for my watch (which has it’s own little china dish on top of the dresser so I can store it there each evening.
It’s amazing how much easier it is to pick the jewelry you want when you have everything out where it can be seen!
Where can I order this jewelry storage?
Hi, I’ve linked to it within the post (any text you see in red is a link), but here you go: https://shopstyle.it/l/blzPn