After living abroad for 3+ years I left my jewelry boxes back home and only carried my jewelry in a little baggy. I tried stacking them on a dish, put them in recycled chocolate boxes, and even just left them sprawled out on my table. Nothing seemed to work and maybe you’re like me. We don’t see the jewelry we don’t wear it. I needed to find a cost effective (yet not cluttery) way of storing my jewelry and after many trials here is what I discovered what works best. Whether your at home and on a budget or travelling these tips will help keep your jewelry tidy, protected, and organized.
Styrofoam is magical and most likely you already have some. Packaging Styrofoam is easy to find in any size perfect for your jewelry box or storage box. It won’t damage the jewelry, never fades and is super cheap for on the go storage. All you have to do is cut it down to the size you need. With or without the earring backs just poke it deep into the foam. Large porous foam is not recommended as the earrings might not stick well or foam that is super compressed because it’s hard to get the earrings in. This worked for all my kinds of earrings but I liked that I could display my dangling earrings the best this way. Its not limited to just earrings but works well with necklaces too.
For storing necklaces, first cut a square of foam and make two slits then slide the chain through the slits on both sides until the desired length is achieved. The downside to this method is that the chain dangles in the back, but mine didn’t seem to get tangled or anything. Please don’t tape it to the back of the foam! I hated doing this when I worked in a jewelry store and it was a pain to remove not to mention small chains were often broken or left sticky. I wish I could recommend another method to store the chains, but I have yet to discover it. If you have an idea feel free to comment below! I also couldn’t find a way to use foam to store my thick bracelets. A side note for eco friendly storage is to invest in a nice wooden box as wood lasts for ages and can be refinished over and over if the wood is solid. Using carboard boxes are fine if you are trying to recycle but they are more susceptible to breakage, getting wet, storing mold and attracting bugs. Plastic boxes are also great but remember within about 5 years the plastic tends to break down and the latches will shatter over time.
I recycled an old tea box from India as storage.
The next one is great for travel and guarantees that you won’t lose a single piece. I also use this storage method for my more expensive, smaller pieces. Finding a pill case is pretty easy these days or you can even find this type of container in the beading and crafts section at your local store. I like to either organize them by color or style lengths to make choosing easier for my outfits. What’s great about the pill cases is that they last for a very long time compared to the foam so it’s worth investing in strong clasp type boxes that snap firmly shut. I don’t recommend storing fine chained necklaces this way because the chain always tangles. If you do, store each one individually to prevent frustration later. Another great thing about this is that it really helped me realize I had too much jewelry and to spend less and use what I already owned.
My last tip is to recycle what you already have or use a beautiful wooden gift box to store the jewelry. I keep both the foam and pill boxes in one large gift box so that way it’s easy to carry and I just open it and select. From the previous photos you can see my necklaces are stored in a tea box from India while others are stored in empty chocolate boxes for the time being. Feel free to get creative and spend an evening decorating your box to make it special. It may not be as fancy as a hand made wooden jewelry box with velvet lining, but for travel, on the go, or for those who like simple tastes these methods are perfect for both you and me!
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