Jewelry Center to Organize and Display Your Collection

By Kathryn Weber

Jewelry and accessory stores have popped up in shopping centers and strip malls at an increasing rate, and with all that fun costume jewelry comes a need to store it.

The problem with traditional jewelry boxes is that baubles slip out of sight and, often, out of mind. The key is organizing all that bling and displaying it so it's instantly accessible by creating your own jewelry center.

Pick a place

Find a spot in your closet, bedroom, or bathroom where you'd like to corral all your jewelry. This will help you organize and contain it, rather than have it scattered in little jars and bowls around the house, or cluttering up the counters. If you have a jewelry armoire, this can be the anchor for your jewelry center. If not, a simple rolling plastic set of drawers make a nice stand-in and can be lined with velvet flocked jewelry inserts, available at bed and bath stores. You can also add shelves to hold jewelry stands and insert hooks to hang jewelry.

Custom Organization

Rather than go to a jewelry accessory store or buy another jewelry box, head to your local home center instead. Here, you'll find items that will help you organize and display your finery in plain sight where you can get to it quickly.

Among the hardest items to organize are long necklaces because putting them inside a jewelry box bunches them up. The key is to hang them. The best hanging accessory is not a hook, but a toilet paper roll hanger. Your home center will have a variety to choose from styles to complement your décor. The best option a single-arm open roll holder. Avoid roll holders that are curved, or that have a spring attachment. Picka straight arm with a small lip at the end. This type will keep necklaces from slipping off or bunching together and make them easy to retrieve.

If you already have shelves, add small hooks or hangers to hold odds and ends. Or, if you wear hoop earrings, screw in some door stops to the ends of the shelves to hold your hoops. You can also turn door stops upright and screw them into your shelves to serve as ring holders.

Hang it up

If you like hook earrings, hang a picture frame on the wall lined with galvanized hardware cloth. Simply staple-gun the hardware cloth into the frame after you've cut it to size with some tin snips. Hang and you have an instant on-the-wall earring organizer.

If you buy a frame with plain sides, you can use the sides and tops to screw in hooks and doorstops and make it into a one-stop jewelry organizer that only takes up as much room as a picture frame.

When jewelry is organized and accessible, it's easier to get dressed and step out looking smartly accessorized.

Jewelry Center to Organize and Display Your Collection