Recently, one of my friends said, "Katie, you make so much jewelry. You must have a great system for storing it!" Readers, I've shared my (dis)organizational habits here before. You'll be pleased to know that I do actually have a storage system for my finished jewelry. Before my oldest child started unloading the drawers in this flea market find cabinet, I stored jewelry (by color!) in the drawers. Now, I keep all of my jewelry in a hard-to-reach dresser drawer.A drawer is ideal because it's important to store jewelry flat. Hanging can cause unnecessary abrasion on necklaces and bracelets. Hanging also exposes jewelry to air, which can cause unwanted tarnishing. I store most of my jewelry in sealed bags.
If you're looking for ideas, check these out: For the recent taping of Beads, Baubles & Jewels, Rio Grande provided a storage case from their line of beautiful, vintage-style boxes for organizing supplies or finished jewelry. I'm also a sucker for library card catalog boxes, which you can find at antique markets and on eBay.
Leave a comment with your storage tip to be entered in a random drawing to win this fun Jolee's Jewels storage case from EK Success, along with a Beadalon tacky mat and a sample of my new Katiedids™ Creative Components. I'll collect comments for one week, then I'll do a random drawing and announce the winner here on the blog.
27 comments:
I actually store my necklaces and bracelets hanging (am I bad) on a lg pegboard in my walk-in closet so I can readily see what I have. My earrings are stored in divided plastic boxes from the sports department (fishy).
Thanks for posting that - I struggle with keeping my jewellery in some semblance of order. I linked your post to my recent FB "plea for help" on organising http://bit.ly/9QbezH :)
~ Laura (Moags)
I too do not hang or expose my jewelry to air! For my personal jewelry I have a stand up jewelry armoire with drawers and a wooden jewelry case made by my father in law in his wood work class many eons ago. For the jewelry I make for sale, they are bagged and then stored in rubbermaid boxes till sold. I also have carry on jewelry case with 12 lined trays that I use to store, carry and display jewelry for shows and parties. It all sounds very organized, but I have been known to spend some time looking for a piece, so I do need to make the search a little less time consuming... Thanks for the opportunity to win.
The jewelry I design is kept in trays in a roller storage case. The jewelry I wear is all over my house! I'm really bad.
all of my personal handmade jewelry is stored in plastic zip bags--large for necklaces, medium for bracelets and small for earrings, rings etc. For the pieces I wear everyday I store in a carved wood box--of course those earrings are just tossed in! LOL There are a few items that I purposely leave out...a hammered copper bracelet...so that I get the lovely patina on the raw copper.
Bead Happy!
Michelle
Wow - I have jewelry stored in many places. I also hang my necklaces but may be I should reconsider. Items I make and plan to sell, I store in plastic bags until 'show day'. I do like your idea of a library catalog box and storing in drawers so I have something new to look for. I would love to win your new katiedids components. I loved you Beadstyle magazine cover from last month!!
Wanda R.(Bead Crafts by Wanda)
I store my necklaces and bracelets in a six drawer wood box designed for storing scrapbooking paper. It's perfect for keeping necklaces flat and organized by color scheme. The drawers are on hinges and swing out for easy access to everything, and the top level has a clear, flip top lid where I keep my favorites. I keep earrings either in small plastic storage bags or on earring cards in a separate wood trinket box.
I would love to win the items. I don't have a lot of storage room so I too store my bracelets and necklaces hanging but do have my earrings on cards that are in plastic bags and some are on a board and some in a plastic bin. I didnt think about the hanging causing abrasions or tarnish.. good to know.. thanks Katie for the info.
I hang up my jewellery on a decorate hooks and rotate those by season and colour. I have several jewellery hangers that are colour sorted with bracelets and necklaces. I hang earrings off of vintage egg cups and in vintage china (thrifted of course!).
I store my jewelry in a wooden machinist tool box, it has thin drawers. I also have Craftmans tool storage cabinets for some of my newer pieces,projects, tools and supplies.
You've just saved me a packet! I was about to order some racks to hang my own personal jewellery up on, but after reading this, I see it's back to the looking for something a little more suitable - with lots of drawers! I also keep some of my jewellery with the silicone sachets that come with new shoes and handbags, to help stop the tarnishing, and when I sell jewellery I've made, I always slip a little sheet of anti-tarnish paper in with the item.
I have several different ways of storing jewelry. Some hanging, some flat. Now I am going to rethink my storage. My favorites are wrapped in a jewelry wrap for traveling. I do have a couple of trays in my dresser drawer for flat storage and rings. I have no good earring storage and they usually end up on the top of the dresser (with the dust).
Thanks for getting me to rethink my organization. Can't wait to try out your Katydids! I hope I win!
Ann
http://www.mycriticaleye.com
I store my jewelry in a wooden machinist tool box, it has thin drawers. I also have Craftmans tool storage cabinets for some of my newer pieces,projects, tools and supplies.
the one reason i never do sterling silver is because i leave it out and it gets tarnished. i must get better about putting it away. also, i would LOVE to get an old library card catalog box! i've always wanted one.
I also store my jewelry in a bag, a vera Bradley pocuh or jewelry box...no air!
I love the idea of a vintage library card drawer system. I have an antique Hamilton printers' cabinet that I am using to store all my beads (just as soon as I find some time to populate that!) but a library drawer would fit in nicely. I use Snapware containers with felted mats in between. Easy to transport to and from shows, etc. Thanks for the tips!
(And if I do win, please select someone else...I have a ton of these little boxes that are great!)
Enjoy the day!
Erin
I also use plastic bags. They keep my predominantly sterling silver jewelry clean.
I just founf a great idea about storing silver jewellery. I was shocked how tarnished my Pandora necklace was after wearing it for 2 weeks. I cleaned it and then found that I should keep it in a ziplock bag with one of those little silica sachets that you get when you buy new shoes or purses. Apparently that really cuts down on the tarnish-I hope so!!!
I use clear amac containers, because I love to be able to SEE everything through their cases - plus these little containers fit into just about anything to organize them
I have some plastic divided craft boxes in my dresser drawer where I keep my personal jewelry. I am much better about keeping my beads organized than the jewelry! Great tips, thanks!
I keep my personal items in a wall hanger divided into pockets with a clear frony so I can see the colors. The items I make for sale are kept in re-used fancy paper or cardboxes I save when I get a gift...I put these on my bedroom dresser-I wish I had more room to orgenize them by color...I'd love to have a special armoire or drawers cabinet just for these...
Thanks for info you shared., it gave me some more ideas...
Varda
Since I don't actually have a studio, all of my storage has to be portable. I store my pieces in those cases made just for transporting jewelry. The trays keep everything fairly secure (plus I sometimes put a sheet of bubble wrap on each try). The trays fit nicely in the case, and are easy to carry to shows this way. Also, I add a couple strips of anti tarnish to each tray, or put the silver pieces in bags.
What a great idea! it looks so neat and chic in the drawers! I will keep my eyes out when i go thrifting, for a similar cabinet!
I keep my personal jewelry on this wooden rack thingy my husband found for me. It has flat pieces of wood with little slits to hang earrings. and pegs on the bottom for necklaces. I kinda like it cause it hangs on the wall and is like art. I keeping my rings and pins and seed beaded bracelets in a traditional standing small jewelry box.
The jewelry that I have made that is not for me, I keep in a cloth divided tray. VERY unorganized and ugly! So i will keep your idea in mind!
I appreciate the various suggestions on how to keep organized and safe the jewelry I make. I am new to beading, I really am glad to know to store the jewelry flat. When I am able to make my first "wearable" beaded item, I will want to keep it and any future jewelry safe and sound. Thank you!
I store all my jewelry in a drawer, flat and in plastic bags also. I add an anti-tarnish strip to the bag where there is sterling jewelry. I recommend my clients to do the same.
I also recommend to roll nechlaces into your hand before putting them in the bag. This helps prevent kinks on exposed and uexposed jewelry wire. If you store it as it falls, the wire will kink.
I store my jewelry supplies in plastic boxes, but my wire always goes in a baggie.
I have a tall 7 drawer chest I used to use for baby clothes. I put clear plastic containers in the drawers to separate the colors and metals. I also separate the earrings, necklaces, and bracelets of each color. I still do not have enough room.
You have said:
Hanging can cause unnecessary abrasion on necklaces and bracelets.
How would hanging harm the necklaces? As long as the necklaces are not rubbing against each other, I see no reason for abrasion.
I might be more concerned with the stringing material stretching after a long time hanging. Need clarification please!
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