Chinese New Year is often preceded by weeks of hectic spring cleaning as people rush to give their homes a thorough cleaning before they welcome visitors during the festive period. If like me, you have more jewellery than you can keep track of, maybe it's time to give your jewellery collection a spring clean.
Jewellery like many other accessories often goes unused when it cannot be easily seen.
Here are some ideas on how to organise THE stash so that they are more accessible. An organised jewellery collection makes it easier and more fun to choose your accessories and also ensure your mornings are less hectic.
1. Get rid of what you don't want
To start, analyse what you have (earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc). Now is the time to be critical and selective. Put aside outdated, mismatched, never-worn and broken pieces.
2. Clean and fix those that are tarnished or needs repair
Clean gold, platinum and diamonds with the proper jewellery cleaners. Rinse and polish with a smooth, lint-free cloth. Try to fix those that you still love. Many jewelry artists (like myself) can repair things like broken clasps or chains and tighten loose parts.
3. Which of these things belong together?
Group like items together. The categories that easily come to mind would be Earrings, Rings, Bracelets and Necklaces. You may even want to sub-divide into casual and formal jewellery or group them by colours. Ultimately, the categories must make sense to you and work for you.
4. Location, location, location!
Now decide on the best place to store your jewelry. Do you have a dressing table with some space to spare? Better still, do you have space for a chest of drawers? If like me, you are without either, then go vertical! Consider how you can maximise unused space like wall, door or wardrobe door space.
5. Let's get organised!
Now you can finally choose your storage solution. The choices are endless, limited only by your budget so I will present a few that I think are practical.
* Jewellery box and tabletop displays
For a small collection, a jewellery box or a display stand on your dresser may suffice. They come in may different materials and designs so there is bound to be one that fits your room decor. Or try being creative and use things around your house. For example, a wine goblet is great for hanging your earrings around the rim. A small potted plant allows you to artfully display your necklaces and braclets.
* Drawer inserts
If you have extra drawers space, you can buy or make your own inserts, trays to organise your jewellery. These should accomodate bigger jewellery collection in style and allow you to see what you have quickly and easily.
* Jewellery pocket organisers
These handy space savers come with 22 to as many as 80 pockets. They hang neatly behind doors or in your wardrobe and have transparent pockets so you can see your entire collection at a glance. If you are crafty and good with a sewing machine, why not sew your own pocket organiser?
Etsy has lots of lovely fabrics available that will make a very nice backing for your organiser.
* Fishing tackle box
These clear boxes has many small apartments and are inexpensive so you can afford to get a few. They are great for small items like ear studs, rings and delicate bracelets.
* Jewellery rolls
Jewellery rolls or wraps are soft cloth or leather pouches to store your jewellery when travelling. They have different compartments and help to keep chains tangle free. It is inexpensive and takes up little space in your luggage and ensures you stay stylish while on the go.
* Hook me up
And finally, here is my own space saver solution. As a student many moons ago, with limited pocket money and yet too many cheap trinkets which I want to keep out of the prying eyes of my parents, I used to stick rows of small hooks on the inside of my wardrobe doors to hang my jewellery. In fact, I still do that now as it is allows me to get dressed and decide on my matching accessories at the same time. Plus, it saves space!
Perhaps you might be motivated to get your jewellery organised now. :) Most of the storage solutions I mentioned are easily availabe at DIY stores, big department stores and storage solution stores.
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