Why I should stop buying accessories
Did you ever enter Forever 21 or better yet Charming Charlie and lusted over every piece of accessories they had in store? Well, I have and I really should not because I have my own little Charming Charlie in my house except for the well decorated and color coordinated setting.
I have too much jewelry, most of it junk, some real good pieces of gold and silver collectえｄ and gifted from all over. I love accessories. It is kind of hard to know because I rarely wear jewelry. It is such a hassle to wear accessories. When I used to work, I would accessorize a lot, and as soon as I arrive work, I would start removing everything starting from bracelets and then rings and then earrings. I enjoy jewelry like the next girl but they are not really part of me as much as I would like them to be.
You would think that this should stop me from wanting more. No way! I lust and I buy. Then they get stored and some are never worn. Take this beautiful piece I bought at a Moroccan stall in an International Fair back in 2002.
I always die whenever I see it because it is so beautiful (and my best friend has or at least bought the same piece in another color with me that day). Yet, I never had the courage to wear it. I find it too fancy. And so far, I have not remembered to wear it whenever I was suppose to go somewhere fancy.
The other reason why I do not wear my jewelry is that (like my shoes stored under my son' s bed) I do not remember them. They are stored at random in several places around the house. I have some in 3 vanity cases, some in my tiny jewelry boxes and some other in biscuits tins. They are so disorganised that it takes me forever to find one particular piece. And sometimes I find that some accessories are broken or that my necklaces are all tangled up.
Some great ideas for organising jewelry
Put it on a wall:
Who says a wall cannot be used to display all your jewelry? That is not my style but it is a great way to showcase once jewelry. Plus once you see your jewelry every day, it is easier to remember them. You can get a huge frame from your craft store or thrift shops and find some hangers and put them all on your wall. Or just use plain wall hangers. Or use plain hooks. It all depends on your style
Get a jewelry tree:
Claire's used to have great collection of jewelry trees where you could hang your necklaces or rings. But I want to go the African route and get myself one of these tiny baobabs. If only I was crafty, I would make myself one in wire..
Remold an antique dresser into a jewelry box:
Just get any antique dresser your liking, and add velvet lining inside it. Or find some organising trays at Ikea and organize your dresser into a jewelry box by grouping items.
Recycle food tins, bento boxes or present boxes:
Sometimes food like cookies come in boxes made of tin that are irresistible. You could just reuse them. Find an organiser that would fit inside the box and rearrange your jewelry. Actually I use two boxes like that for my beaded necklaces and one big present box that use to contain Hermes perfume and soap set to hold my headbands. Japanese lacquer bento boxes are also a great use. Some of them already come with divided spaces.
Get a draw storage box:
Any draw storage box will do. Get one in the color your like or just repaint a simple one if you are crafty. You can even add glitter if you are into them. It all depends on you. As for me, I cannot stop lusting over this piece owned by Hijablicious
One of my biggest dream is to collect jewelry boxes from all over the world. I have such an obsession with tiny jewelry boxes that whenever I travel, they are some of the first thing I check in markets. There so cute and fun. If it was possible for me to use them and remember what I put in them, that would be great.
What about you? How do you organize your jewelry?
I have too much jewelry, most of it junk, some real good pieces of gold and silver collectえｄ and gifted from all over. I love accessories. It is kind of hard to know because I rarely wear jewelry. It is such a hassle to wear accessories. When I used to work, I would accessorize a lot, and as soon as I arrive work, I would start removing everything starting from bracelets and then rings and then earrings. I enjoy jewelry like the next girl but they are not really part of me as much as I would like them to be.
You would think that this should stop me from wanting more. No way! I lust and I buy. Then they get stored and some are never worn. Take this beautiful piece I bought at a Moroccan stall in an International Fair back in 2002.
Necklace made of beads, bought in 2002. Never been worn!
I always die whenever I see it because it is so beautiful (and my best friend has or at least bought the same piece in another color with me that day). Yet, I never had the courage to wear it. I find it too fancy. And so far, I have not remembered to wear it whenever I was suppose to go somewhere fancy.
The other reason why I do not wear my jewelry is that (like my shoes stored under my son' s bed) I do not remember them. They are stored at random in several places around the house. I have some in 3 vanity cases, some in my tiny jewelry boxes and some other in biscuits tins. They are so disorganised that it takes me forever to find one particular piece. And sometimes I find that some accessories are broken or that my necklaces are all tangled up.
Some of my "jewelry boxes": pouches bought in Sandaga market
I arranged my jewelry in ziploc bag because it is easier to grab whenever I travel
But it is still a mess
Cookie box turned into jewelry box
Same here
Cluttered mess: my recycled black jewelry box under a jewelry box from Haiti gifted from M.
For this reason, and this reason only, I am on the hunt for a great piece of jewelry box, huge enough to hold all my accessories, but small enough to be set on top of my dresser. I am not going to buy anything new. I will look for something old. I am going to try my search in recycling shops (I got my actual jewelry box from a recycle shop) and/ or flea markets. I heard that there is a great Japanese flea market every month in Machida. Some of my friends did great shopping there. And I will have to check it out as soon as my shopping ban is lifted. I hope I will get lucky.
Put it on a wall:
Who says a wall cannot be used to display all your jewelry? That is not my style but it is a great way to showcase once jewelry. Plus once you see your jewelry every day, it is easier to remember them. You can get a huge frame from your craft store or thrift shops and find some hangers and put them all on your wall. Or just use plain wall hangers. Or use plain hooks. It all depends on your style
Get a jewelry tree:
Claire's used to have great collection of jewelry trees where you could hang your necklaces or rings. But I want to go the African route and get myself one of these tiny baobabs. If only I was crafty, I would make myself one in wire..
Baobab tree available at http://www.coralquay.co.uk/baobab-jewellry-tree-large.html
Wired baobab tree available at http://www.african-home.com/wire-mini-baobab-tree.html
Remold an antique dresser into a jewelry box:
Just get any antique dresser your liking, and add velvet lining inside it. Or find some organising trays at Ikea and organize your dresser into a jewelry box by grouping items.
Recycle food tins, bento boxes or present boxes:
Sometimes food like cookies come in boxes made of tin that are irresistible. You could just reuse them. Find an organiser that would fit inside the box and rearrange your jewelry. Actually I use two boxes like that for my beaded necklaces and one big present box that use to contain Hermes perfume and soap set to hold my headbands. Japanese lacquer bento boxes are also a great use. Some of them already come with divided spaces.
Inside a bento box with divided space
Two-tiered bento box
Get a draw storage box:
Any draw storage box will do. Get one in the color your like or just repaint a simple one if you are crafty. You can even add glitter if you are into them. It all depends on you. As for me, I cannot stop lusting over this piece owned by Hijablicious
Accessory draw storage box owned by Hijablicious.com
One of my biggest dream is to collect jewelry boxes from all over the world. I have such an obsession with tiny jewelry boxes that whenever I travel, they are some of the first thing I check in markets. There so cute and fun. If it was possible for me to use them and remember what I put in them, that would be great.
What about you? How do you organize your jewelry?
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