Organizing Basics

Having always been an organized person, I have never had a problem with my jewelry being tangled and disorganized. Another thing I will no longer take for granted.

This past week I was fortunate to work with a wonderful lady for whom I was organizing her closet. In our consultation, she showed me how she had some of her jewelry hung and the rest was stored in a drawer over by the bathroom sink. We had briefly discussed the possibility of moving her jewelry in to the dresser in her closet. She didn’t want to have a dresser top jewelry box, she liked having it in a drawer, so while out shopping I picked up what I thought might work in the dresser.

I found some really neat trays with compartments at the Container Store, and then later found some at Bed, Bath and Beyond as well. {That’s a tip for those who may not have a Container Store nearby – my Container Store is 25 miles away, and Bed, Bath and Beyond is only 6 miles away, so this was a good find!} I’ve seen all different types of trays at Target, Walmart, and even Garden Ridge, but nothing beats the quality of the Container Store {although that new find at BB&B is a serious contender}.

There is a lot to choose from out there in the way of jewelry boxes and trays for drawers.

It all boils down to which one you would more likely use and get used to?

What matches up with your current routine and habits?

I find in organizing this is a step that can be overlooked when making a purchase to help organize anything in the home  – thinking through what you really would do. {Not what the cute picture in the magazine said to do – that isn’t always going to be what works for you.}

Back to my story. I arrived to organize the closet, and we did a great job! We rearranged the closet to include a dry cleaning processing area, and moved the dresser so she can place things on it that she likes to look when she enters the closet (I love that idea!).  As we organized the contents of the dresser, the subject of jewelry storage was revisited. We tried placing the jewelry in the dresser drawer, but to her it didn’t feel right. She intuitively knew that her routine was set. Her jewelry needed to stay where it was. We finished up the dresser and then turned our attention to the jewelry once again, this time in its current location – the bathroom vanity.

We brought the trays over and as if by magic, the trays fit perfectly. We were able to fit 3 trays, and an open space was needed for the bracelets. I love how things always work out. Of course, I didn’t get a before picture. 🙂 It would’ve been a good one too. {I often forget to take before pics.} But I did remember the AFTER pic. It’s a beauty. The trays we chose even have plastic covers to keep her hair out of the jewelry.

My client was very excited about having her jewelry organized. She remarked how much time it would save her in the morning searching for the matching earring, and she will probably not lose as many earrings now that there is a space for them. Her necklaces were added to the jewelry organizer hanging in the closet, and I suspect her other jewelry will be used more often now that she has added some of her regular pieces to the bunch.

If your jewelry is driving you crazy – do something about it! With so many ways to organize your jewelry, there’s no reason to continue this way. There are many choices out there online and retail, you just have to be looking for them. Jewelry is just like everything else we own; it is easier to find when it has a home that we can count on.

My mother gave me a jewelry box when I was a teen, and then not too many years ago she gave me her old jewelry box, it’s in terrific shape {she never bought crap}. I use both. One for my everyday jewelry, and one for things I choose to hold onto. Whatever storage YOU chose, keep in mind how it will fit into your life. This is how to make the right choice for you.

How do you currently store your jewelry? How’s that working for you? Feel free to share with me all the details – good and bad!