How To Keep Your Accessories Organized

I must admit that I am obsessed with being organized.  Everything I own has its special little place and after I use it I promptly return it so everything is nice and clean and easy to find.

I have tried every accessories organization technique available because dealing with lots of little pieces can quickly become a nightmare.  I have accumulated a lot of jewelry over the years, ranging from $1 costume jewelry pieces to priceless family jewels and somehow I can never find the exact piece that I’m looking for when I’m rushing out the door.  I have hats and scarves and headbands and pins and lots of little things that I love to add to my outfit to have something a little more expressive.  I have decided that the perfect way to organize my accessories involves:

1. displaying my variety of pieces in a way that allows me to see what I have and possibly be inspired to wear something specific
2. keeping my valuable pieces in a special place so that they can be protected and safe; they don’t need to be as easily accessible since they will probably only be worn for special occasions

I use a variety of containers, hooks, and jewelry stands for organizing my accessories.  Here are some key pieces:

• earring stand – A life-changing discovery!  After keeping my earrings in a tiny box for years and always wasting time searching for a pair that matched, I finally discovered the fabulous earring stand.  There are many different artistic varieties that allow you to hang your earrings in a way that displays all of your options and always keeps the pairs together.

Image: Urban Outfitters

Twiggy Jewelry Stand $32 at Urban Outfitters

• small drawers – Find something with lots of little compartments for holding your more precious pieces that usually come in their own protective bags.  You can put just one or two pieces in each drawer.  These pieces are worn less so you don’t need them out on display where they can be seen everyday or possibly lost.  If you can’t find a jewelry box like this, look for a product designed for office supply storage.  I just received the one below as a gift from my mom and I LOVE it!  So perfect for an architect!

Image: Cost Plus

Recycled Ruler Desktop Chest $49.99 at Cost Plus

• necklace hooks – Long chunky necklaces are in style right now, so it’s definitely difficult to find a jewelry box that will hold these larger pieces.  I like to put hooks on my wall to hang these necklaces so I can see them displayed and keep them from getting tangled.  You can just use tiny hooks that attach to your wall from the hardware store, or find a jewelry stand with necklace hooks.

Image: Urban Outfitters

Yes Frills Wall Jewelry Holder $24 at Urban Outfitters

• tiny bowl – I need a place where I can immediately drop my earrings and rings when I get home from work or going out.  When I’m exhausted I don’t want to deal with finding exactly where everything goes, so I drop everything into a pretty little bowl so I can find everything in the morning.

• hats & scarves hooks – An over-the-door hook is perfect for stashing all of your long scarves and hats.  Hanging your hats will prevent them from getting crushed and will let them dry if you’ve worn them in the rain or snow.

• purse hanger – I store most of my purses in felt bags in boxes in my closet, but I like to have a few options readily available to me so I can switch throughout the week for different outfits and events.  I choose a few different sizes and levels of dressiness to display on a purse hanger in my closet so I can switch out quickly without having to dig through boxes when I’m on my way out the door.

Image: Bed Bath & Beyond

Handbag Hangup Natural Purse Hanger $12.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond