HOW TO: ORGANIZE YOUR JEWELLERY

Keeping all of your jewellery straight can be such a pain! Necklaces get tangled, earrings get separated from their partners and you end up forgetting about some of your favourite pieces because they're buried under a mountain of junk. Yesterday I tackled the long-overdue job of organizing all of my jewellery - because let's be honest, it's not really at the top of my to do list - and here are the results :)

I really like the idea of an earring tree but I haven't been able to find one that I like, so I got a little crafty and made my own. Earring trees are great because you can store and display all of your dangly earrings in one go. Not only will you avoid loosing one of a pair, but you will also be able to see your entire collection in a glance.

Better yet, this earring frame was super easy and cheap to make. All you need is an old picture frame and a piece of loosely-woven material. Check the dollar store for pillow case covers, place mats and fabric bags that can all be converted for your cause. You can even look for a fun pattern if you want. Then, all you do is stretch the fabric over a piece of cardboard and pop it into the frame. Voila!

The biggest bummer was clearing out my jewellery box, which was cluttered with a mountain of old broken pieces, receipts and other garbage. Once I had purged it, I divided my jewellery into costume pieces and valuable pieces. All of my delicate necklaces and bracelets (the kind that get hopelessly tangled when left to their own devices) got divided into the side compartments to keep them separate. I popped my rings into the middle section and used the rest of it to store my stud earrings. Try using the little boxes that rings come in to store any loose pendants so that they don't go missing.

On the bottom level of the jewellery box, I stored all of my valuable jewellery. It's important to separate your valuable pieces from your costume pieces so that they get the care that they need. I stored them in their original boxes to keep them safe from dust and sunlight. If it's more of an heirloom than a piece that you wear, then your safe deposit box might be a better place to keep it. But remember - don't be afraid to wear your extra special jewellery! That's what it's meant for :)

Last but not least, I bought two baskets from the dollar store to store my chunky jewellery (side note: I really love the dollar store. You can find almost everything that you will need for household crafts for a fraction of the price!) In one basket I put all of my bangles and cuffs, while the other one holds all of my statement necklaces. Since these pieces are so oversized, they won't get tangled and you can store them all together. Easy peasy!

Talk soon,

Vi