Gone are the days when you find your rings in the cereal box and your necklaces were made of candy. Take care of your jewelry collection and it will last a lifetime.

Whether your jewelry collection is full of priceless (not very likely), or not so priceless pieces, you have put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating it, so treat it well.

Odds are that your jewelry collection is a mixture of special pieces that have been gifted to you by family and friends, special pieces you have purchased for yourself, and plenty of trendy costume jewelry thrown into the mix. No matter the case, your jewelry collection deserves to be stored and cared for properly. Please do not toss all your treasured baubles on your bureau top and not expect them to suffer the consequences.

Jewelry Collection Care and Storage

The most impactful way to make certain that your jewelry collection holds up is to store it well.

Storage Tips

• Make certain to store strung necklaces and bracelets (like pearls) flat and do not hang them. Hanging can weaken the strands as well as stretch them out.
• Do hang chain necklaces where possible to avoid tangling, which can lead to breakage.
• Silver and gold are best stored in a closed case to keep tarnishing and other grime at bay.

DIY Cleaning

DIY jewelry cleaning tips abound on the Internet, but according to the expert gemologists  at Jewelers Mutual, there’s a lot of bad advice out there about how best to clean jewelry at home. Their advice is to keep the process simple by using dish soap, warm water, and a brand new baby toothbrush to clean away buildup from your favorite pieces.

DIY Jewelry Cases

If you don’t already have a case in which to store your jewelry collection, you can scour yard sales and estate sales for a find–or make one yourself. Here are some DIY tutorials to drool over.

• DIY Standing Ikea Hack
• DIY Chest Into a Jewelry Case
• DIY Tiffany Inspired Jewelry Case

Travel Tips

Extra care is needed when traveling and this is one of life’s experiences from which jewelry can really suffer.

• Obviously, if you are flying, pack your jewelry in your carry-on luggage.
• If you must check luggage, plan on only take those pieces that you absolutely need. If the worst happens and the airport loses a bag, you don’t want to lose your entire collection at once!
• Use care when packing jewelry. The best solution is to use a roll organizer. You can purchase one or make one yourself.

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Solve your jewelry clutter problems with these easy DIY solutions for jewelry storage.

These DIY jewelry storage solutions will keep your necklaces from getting tangled and make choosing what jewelry to wear with your outfit a breeze.

1. Old Type Tray – If you come across an old printing type tray at a thrift or estate sale, repurpose into a jewelry storage unit.
2. Wooden Hanger Jewelry Hanger – No more wooden hangers? Make “mommy dearest” proud with this project to repurpose a wooden hanger and hooks for hanging jewelry.
3. Repurposed Clipboards – If you are like me, you have a lot of old clipboards (it’s a long story). Cover them with fabric to make make a decorative jewelry storage wall display.
4. Repurposed Peg Board – Paint old peg board and add it to a old frame to give it new life as jewelry storage.
5. Repurposed Bamboo Blinds – Have those old bamboo blinds hanging around from the 1970s? Turn them into hanging jewelry storage solution.
6. Cheese Grater – Hit the thrift stores for tabletop jewelry storage just perfect for earrings.
7. Branch Organizer – This DIY project turns hardwood branches into sculptural jewelry storage.
8. Thrift Store Dishes – Turn thrift store dishes into a jewelry tray for handy storage and display.
9. Pallet Display  – Pallets can be turned into anything, including wall storage for your jewelry.
10. Cookie Tin Tiered Tray – Holiday cookie tins can be turned into a tiered jewelry stand.
11. Repurposed Rake – The head of an old rake can be used as to keep your necklaces tangle-free.
12. Drift Wood – A plank of driftwood can be used along with old knobs for DIY chic jewelry display and storage.
13. Embroidery Hoop Storage – Did your attempt at embroidery turn up a bust? Use the hoops and embroidery fabric for a creative way to display and store your jewelry.
14. Cork Board Display – An old office corkboard can be turned into an easy jewelry holder.
15. Copper Fittings – Copper fittings can be used for repurposed industrial hanging jewelry storage.

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Image: MaderaCollection

The post 15 Ridiculous Easy DIY Repurposed Jewelry Storage Ideas appeared first on EcoSalon.

Like many self-described fashionistas out there, I have a lot of jewelry. From thrift store finds, estate sale vintage pieces, handmade designs from Etsy and even some family heirlooms, most of my jewelry wouldn’t be described as fine jewelry, but it’s precious to me. And what’s even more precious is when I can actually find and wear what I am looking for–which happens all too rarely. Unfortunately, my jewelry is spread out in 4 different jewelry chests, 2 different trays and a hanging display. It’s not pretty, it’s not organized and I’m sure I’m not the only one can say this about her jewelry collection.

Since my jewelry is always is such a state of disarray, I am always on the lookout for jewelry storage solutions. I would love to be able to find exactly what it is I’m looking for–and for it to not be in a tangled mess when I do find it.  I know I’m not the only one with this desire either, so read on for some jewelry storage inspiration. 

1. Old Rake Hanging Storage

Image via the Gardening Cook

For those necklaces for which it is safe to store hanging, try repurposing an old garden rake like this one at Tub Connection. Just saw off the handle, hang and that’s it–instant storage (above). A style statement AND problem-solver, all in one.

2. Repurposed Printer Drawer

Image: Black Forest Cottage

Black Forest Cottage sells antique print-type drawers that have been repurposed into hanging jewelry storage cabinets. This would make a unique addition to your bedroom decor and you could see ALL your jewelry at one time.

3. Silver Leaf Jewelry Cabinet

The blogger over at Jen-uinely Inspired took a free-standing jewelry cabinet she had purchased and turned it into this gorgeous silver-leafed beauty. Maybe a Craigslist find that you don’t like the looks of (but serves the purpose for keeping baubles organized), just needs a paint job or other style rehab?

4. Jewelry Cabinet Mirror

Image via This Girl’s Life

One solution is to purchase a jewelry cabinet like this one shared on This Girl’s Life blog. The pros–it can hold a lot of jewelry AND it doubles as a full-length mirror (when closed). The cons–they can be expensive and might not a good fit for your decor.

5. DIY Cutting Board Hanging Storage

Another DIY idea is to take old cutting boards, paint them, add hooks, and wall-mount them for hanging necklace storage. See some inspiration at diy enthusiasts.

6. Vintage Industrial Machinist Cabinet

Image: Antique Lane

This 37-drawer, 1940s vintage machinist cabinet might have enough storage for my collection with room to grow. What about yours? Would it fit in here? Since hanging necklaces can be damaging to them, this would allow for plenty of flat storage of necklaces.

7. DIY Free-Standing jewelry Cabinet

This lovely project from Angie Johnson at design*sponge is made using IKEA “Fira” chests. Sadly those chests have been discontinued by IKEA, but they have been replaced by other similar products that one could repurpose.

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