Tips to organize and store jewellery

Keeping jewellery neat and accessible can be a challenge, even for the most organized person. For every perfectly organized jewellery box, there are at least 10 that amount to a jumbled mess of necklaces, bracelets, rings and mismatched earrings. Try these no-cost storage ideas — gems in themselves!

If your grandmother's wooden silverware box is sitting empty in the attic, odds are the velvet-lined interior is in good enough shape to hold your jewellery. The velvet will slow silver jewellery from tarnishing, while the compartments will keep it in order, particularly necklaces, which can be held in place by the utensil dividers. Polish the exterior wood to a nice sheen, and keep it on your bureau as a showpiece.

Tiny squares of leftover needlepoint canvas are perfect for storing pierced earrings. Make them more secure by slipping the mesh into a plastic bag before storing them in your jewellery drawer.

Don't throw pill containers out when they're empty; they can help sort your jewellery and keep things separate. Your jewellery will be visible through tinted brown or clear plastic, so you won't need to open the containers to remember what's in which.

The compartments of egg cartons and ice cube trays are just the right size for keeping jewellery separated, organized and visible. It's especially great for keeping pairs of earrings together! Line cartons or trays side by side in a drawer.

Clip a skirt hanger onto the waistband of an old pair of panty hose and you have an instant pierced earring holder. Just push the studs through the nylon and attach the backs. Hang from a closet rod. You'll be able to see your collection all at once, keep earrings from being separated and have immediate access.

Repurpose well-washed small plastic or glass spice jars as jewellery holders. They're small, see-through and perfect for keeping pairs of earrings together and storing rings, pins and chain-link bracelets. Keep in your jewellery drawer, or stash in a suitcase when travelling.

Draping necklaces and bracelets from the hooks on a coat rack mounted on the wall next to your dressing table is a smart idea. For one thing, your baubles are right at hand. For another, they add a nice decorative touch to an expanse of bare wall.

We all love our bling, so it's best to keep our jewellery together and in tip-top shape in easy-to-make organizers — especially when we want to be the next belle of the ball!