How to Organize Jewelry in a Drawer

If you've been looking for a way to organize your jewelry, placing it in your drawer in a jewelry organizer is a great way to keep it sorted and in good condition. Look through your jewelry and get rid of pieces you don't want anymore before purchasing a jewelry organizer with compartments for each piece. You can even get creative and make your own containers to put in the drawer from things like egg cartons or unused tea cups.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Choosing a Storage Organizer

1. Go through your jewelry and only keep the necessary pieces. Gather all of your jewelry together so you can go through it. Get rid of any pieces that you’re not going to wear, as well as pieces that are broken. Consider donating pieces that aren't broken to a local charity or second-hand store for them to use.^[1]
   
   • Get rid of any earrings that are missing a match, too.
2. Measure your drawer so you know what size organizer to purchase. Use a measuring tape to take the measurements of the drawer you're planning on storing your jewelry in, writing down the length, width, and depth on a piece of paper. This will tell you what size jewelry organizers to look for, making sure that the one you choose will fit in your drawer.
   
   • When you're looking at jewelry organizers, pay attention to the dimensions listed on the packaging to see if they will fit in your drawer.
3. Purchase a jewelry organizer with separate compartments. Once you know how much jewelry you have to store, decide on which jewelry organizer will fit all of your pieces. Look for jewelry organizers that go in drawers at your local big box store or home goods store, choosing one that has the compartments for each different type of jewelry that you own.^[2]
   
   • Velvet-lined jewelry organizers are the best material option as they prevent your jewelry from moving in their compartments.
4. Use clear plastic jewelry inserts for a cheaper storage option. Things like costume jewelry can be placed in plastic jewelry organizers because they're less likely to become damaged than your more valuable or sentimental pieces. Look for plastic jewelry organizers that come with different compartments at your local big box store or online, often costing much less than a wooden jewelry organizer or one lined with velvet.^[3]
   
   • Stacking clear plastic jewelry inserts on top of one another will make it easier to see pieces of jewelry on the bottom row.
5. Try velvet-lined trays to protect your pieces of jewelry. If you're worried about your jewelry getting scratched or damaged by a plastic organizer, pick out one that's lined with velvet or some other type of similar material. The velvet keeps the pieces of jewelry from sliding around and acts as a layer of protection against the organizer.^[4]
   
   • Look for velvet-lined jewelry organizers at your local home goods store or online.
   • Velvet-lined trays are perfect for special gems or sentimental keepsakes.
6. Place shallow jewelry inserts into a drawer with a shorter depth. Many top drawers of dressers aren't as deep as the other drawers, making it harder to fit large collections of things all in one drawer. Luckily, many stores sell shallow jewelry organizers that will still hold your pieces of jewelry while also fitting in your drawer.^[5]
   
   • You might even purchase multiple shallow jewelry inserts and stack them on top of one another if your drawer allows it.
   • Look for shallow jewelry inserts at your local home goods store or online.
7. Stack organizers on top of one another if you have small, deep drawers. If you have a large jewelry collection and dresser drawers that are fairly deep, use multiple jewelry organizers stacked on top of one another to keep all of your jewelry organized. This makes it easy to find any piece that you’d like by simply lifting up the top tray to reach the bottom one.^[6]
   
   • Store pieces that you don’t wear as often on the bottom tray and jewelry that you wear most often on the top tray.
   • Look for jewelry organizers that are built to be stacked, or purchase two identical jewelry organizers to stack them easily on top of one another.
8. Place expandable jewelry trays in dressers with a large drawer. If your dresser drawer is large and wide, get creative with your organizer, choosing a large one with lots of different compartments. You might pick out one organizer just for rings and earrings, and another organizer just for bracelets and necklaces.^[7]
   
   • Look at the different size options for jewelry organizers to find one that fits your needs.
   • If your drawer is big enough, place each organizer tray next to each other in the drawer.
   • You may need to check the total dimensions of the tray when it's fully expanded if you plan on opening it while the tray is in the drawer.

[Edit]Organizing Your Jewelry Collection

1. Group similar pieces together when placing them in the drawer. This includes things like bracelets with bracelets or necklaces with necklaces. Sectioning your jewelry so that similar items are placed together will make it faster and easier to find the pieces you’re looking for when you’re getting ready.^[8]
   
   • You might group pieces of jewelry that you wear often together and other pieces that are only worn on rare occasions together.
   • Group pieces of jewelry that are more expensive together, or place all of your gold pieces with other gold pieces, silver pieces with other silver pieces, and so on.
2. Place pieces of jewelry in the organizer depending on their size and shape. Most jewelry organizers come with compartments in different shapes and sizes for different pieces of jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces, or earrings. Place each piece of jewelry in the box that fits its shape: necklaces go in long and skinny boxes, bracelets go in square boxes, and earrings or rings go in the smallest boxes.^[9]
   
   • Some organizers may also have foam in them designed for inserting rings and earrings.
3. Give each piece of jewelry its own spot to avoid any damage. Try not to clump several pieces of jewelry on top of each other when you’re placing them in the jewelry organizer. This prevents pieces from getting tangled together or broken. When you place your jewelry in the organizer, give each piece its own box or separated storage space to keep them looking their best.^[10]
   
   • Some things, like rings, can be stored together in one box of the organizer since they don’t get tangled.
   • Place necklaces in the organizer so that they’re spread out in one long strand, putting each necklace in a different long box of the organizer.
4. Display extra pieces of jewelry on top of the dresser. If you run out of storage space in your drawer or just want to display statement pieces of jewelry, place these pieces on top of your dresser. Put them in a glass case or hang them on a jewelry stand to store just a few pieces for a minimalist look.^[11]
   
   • For example, if you have a couple necklaces that are too bulky for your drawer jewelry organizer, hang these pieces on a necklace stand on your dresser to show them off.

[Edit]Creating Homemade Organizers

1. Use styrofoam egg crates to hold earrings or rings. Recycle an old styrofoam egg carton by rinsing it off before cutting the top off using scissors. Place the egg carton in your drawer, and separate your pieces of jewelry using each individual egg spot.^[12]
   
   • For example, place a pair of earrings in each compartment or 1 or 2 rings in each space.
   • Rinse the styrofoam with dish soap and warm water to remove any leftover egg bacteria before you place your jewelry in it.
2. Keep necklaces from tangling using clear plastic straws. Use scissors to make a cut in a straw going down its entire length. Place the necklace inside the straw so it’s stretched out completely, keeping it from getting tangled.^[13]
   
   • Place the straws containing necklaces in a flat, shallow basket in the drawer for even more organization.
3. Place unused teacups in the drawer to hold bracelets. If you have a collection of old teacups or small bowls, place them in the drawer lined up against one another. Set your bracelets or other large pieces of jewelry in each teacup or bowl, separating them so they don’t get tangled and are easily recognizable.^[14]
   
   • Teacups are also great for holding watches or rings.
4. Look around the house for items you can turn into containers. Jewelry organizers are all around you, from empty mint containers to pieces of ceramic art. Look through your drawers full of random nicknacks for small items you can use as containers to hold necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or watches.
   
   • Other ideas include using empty pill containers, yogurt containers, tin cans, or small cardboard boxes.

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://medium.com/the-minimalist/downsizing-a-jewelry-collection-ebb91f852649
2. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jewelry-storage-ideas-organization-tips-for-jewelry
3. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/how-to-organize-jewelry/
4. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/how-to-organize-jewelry/
5. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jewelry-storage-ideas-organization-tips-for-jewelry
6. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/shoes-accessories/jewelry/how-to-arrange-jewelry
7. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/home-organization-ideas-under-50-dollars-2018-8#an-organizer-to-keep-your-reusable-plastic-container-lids-tidy-16
8. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jewelry-storage-ideas-organization-tips-for-jewelry
9. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jewelry-storage-ideas-organization-tips-for-jewelry
10. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/how-to-organize-jewelry/
11. ↑ https://thediyplaybook.com/2018/02/organizing-jewelry-dresser-drawer.html
12. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/shoes-accessories/jewelry/how-to-arrange-jewelry
13. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-magazine/ask-real-simple/keep-jewelry-untangled
14. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-magazine/ask-real-simple/keep-jewelry-untangled