How to Organize Your Jewelry So It's Tidy and Untangled
Pros reveal their favorite jewelry organizers and best tips.
Maybe you have a dresser drawer dedicated to your favorite hoops, bangles, and baubles. Or maybe the top of your vanity doubles as a jewelry display. No matter how much space you have, here's how to maximize it so you can find your favorite jewelry at a glance and get out the door faster. Organizing pros Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, cofounders of The Home Edit, share their top tips for how to organize jewelry using whatever space you have. And in the video above, Liz Vaccariello, Real Simple's editor-in-chief, provides a sneak peek at her clever at-home jewelry storage ideas. Consider this all the inspiration you need to finally wrangle and untangle your jewelry collection.
How to Organize Jewelry in a Drawer
1. Take Inventory
First, sort your collection—categorizing like with like—to determine how much storage you’ll need.
2. Gather Containers
Search for items throughout your home that can be repurposed as in-drawer dividers, such as egg crates, teacups, or box tops. Use them to supplement store-bought drawer dividers, such as Vaccariello's favorite storage trays from the Container Store. She uses these stackable trays with various compartments to stash earrings of all sizes.
3. Divide by Style
Place similar jewels together within each container: Set chunky bracelets in a bowl, hang chandelier earrings over the edge of a cup, and put studs and rings in the smallest compartments. Limit groupings to no more than a few pieces to avoid overcrowding, so you can see all your options at a glance.
4. Layer Up
For drawers deeper than the one at left, use multilevel inserts: Stash in-season items on top and lesser-worn pieces toward the bottom.
To buy: Clear Acrylic small stackable trays, from $7; containerstore.com.
How to Organize Jewelry on Your Vanity
1. Grab and Go
Designate a small dish or a ring cone to hold the accessories you reach for every day. Leaving them out means you won’t have to search for them—and you’ll always remember to wear them.
2. Design a Display
To make things look pretty, arrange your collection like one you’d see at a store, putting favorite pieces on sculptural objects or figurines. (Don’t overdo it, though. Too much could lead to clutter.)
3. Hang Loose
To prevent daintier, fine-chain necklaces from getting tangled or misplaced, drape each one over a separate peg on a clear carousel ($22, containerstore.com).
4. Put a Lid on It
A jewelry box keeps your baubles dust-free. Choose one that complements your decor and has room to accommodate new additions.
To buy (similar): Faux Shagreen box in gray, from $100; williams-sonoma.com.
How to Organize Jewelry on the Wall
1. Use Vertical Space
Hang long or chunky pieces from hooks (on a rod, like above, or directly mounted to the wall) to keep them orderly and within reach. Bonus: It’s a sturdy solution for your heavier pieces. If you have a large collection of necklaces, follow Vaccariello's lead and get multiple hook racks for necklaces of different lengths: one for chokers, one for statement necklaces, and one for longer pieces.
To buy: Lusso Hook Rack, $68; anthropologie.com.
2. Find a Double-Duty Solution
If you prefer to keep your jewelry tucked away, a shallow hanging mirror organizer is a practical fix. The full-length mirror opens up to reveal a series of hooks and racks to stash all your accessories.
To buy: Wall-Mounted Jewelry Armoire, $127, homedepot.com.
3. Frame It Out
Fabric memo boards are ideal for earrings. Slide the earring back all the way onto the post and push into the memo board (like a thumbtack). To hang lightweight necklaces, drape them over pretty pushpins.