As one of the world’s most popular accessories, earrings are an easy way to make a statement or complement any outfit. But have you ever struggled to find the matching earring or had your earrings become impossibly tangled with another earring, necklace or other piece of jewelry? Having your earrings organized and displayed in a functional way helps keep things neat and tidy and makes accessorizing easy and enjoyable. Here’s our best tips for organizing your earrings, including decluttering, categorizing, and proper storing.
Clear Out the Old
Before we dive into categorizing your earrings, let’s first take inventory. You can only wear so many earrings at one time, and you likely own earrings you never wear. For these pieces, consider donating, regifting or ditching them. If some earrings in your declutter pile still hold some significant value, consider selling them on places like Facebook Marketplace, Etsy or eBay. Not only will you give someone else the chance to enjoy the earrings you no longer wear, you’ll make space for easier access to the earrings you do wear.
For earrings you don’t wear but that have sentimental value such as family heirlooms, meaningful gifts or other inherited pieces, decluttering might not be an option. Rather than store these where they will never be seen, create a decorative display such as a jewelry shadow box that allows you to see these pieces (and get joy from them!) often.
A Home for Every Earring
From studs, spikes, huggies and hoops, to dangles, drops, clusters and climbers (whew!), earrings can be a lot to manage. To prevent rogue earrings from roaming around without a home, make sure there’s a place for every earring you own. Since no two earring collections are the same, there isn’t a one-size-fits all plan for organizing them. Here are a few categories by which you may choose to organize:
- Organize your earrings by style: if you have a wide variety of earrings, you may want to organize and store them by style. This will make it easier to find the pair you’re looking for and should help reduce the tangles and frustrations that happen when you toss everything together. A few tips:
- Match the earring organizer with the earring style. For example, dangling earrings naturally fit well in an organizer that has hanging space. For studs, select an organizer with many small, separated compartments. See more about storage solutions below.
- If you have multiple piercings and regularly wear the same three or more earrings together, store or display these in groups so you’re not rummaging around to find a complete set.
- Organize your earrings by size: You may also want to group earrings by size or length, which can help give longer, bulkier pieces the space they require while also helping you quickly find just the size you’re looking for.
- Organize your earrings by color or metal: If you’re the type of person who finds just a few styles you like and then you buy those styles in every color available, organizing your earrings by color or metal type might be the most comfortable way for you to keep them in order. That way, when you’re looking for that specific rose gold earring that’s perfect for the occasion, you’ll know just where to look.
- Organize your earrings by frequency of wear: Make sure your daily-wear earrings are easily accessible so your morning routine isn’t disrupted by a search for a missing hoop. Get creative with dresser-top storage solutions such as old decorative dishes.
Since you’ll now have a dedicated place for these frequently-worn pieces, it will be easy for you to put them back at the end of the day. Doing so will help you avoid disorganized, dirty, tangled or misplaced jewelry. However, misplaced earrings are almost a guarantee despite all efforts to avoid it. If you are missing an earring, check out our post: “How to Find a Lost Earring” or consider getting your valuable earrings insured so that you’re covered through loss, theft, damage or disappearance. Check your rate today.
- For earrings worn less frequently or solely for special occasions, store these in a special jewelry box, drawer or decorative box. Label this storage clearly so you can find what you’re looking for without stress when it’s time for the big day or night out.
Storage Solutions
As mentioned above, it’s important to find the right storage solution for the right earrings. Here are a few go-to favorites:
- Jewelry trays: Compartmentalized boxes and trays are a simple way to keep studs, clip-ons and hoops organized. Repurpose shallow jam jars or even ice cube trays into charming earring holders. Decorate them to match your décor for a pop of personality that also keeps your earrings easily within reach.
- Wall organizers: Hanging organizer options with hooks, shelves and pockets let you store earrings and decoratively display them at the same time. Perfect for dangling earrings, wall organizers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors to fit your style.
- DIY solutions: Repurpose items you have around your home, like antique tins, picture frames or driftwood to create unique and customized earring holders.
- Travel storage: Tossing your jewelry into a travel pouch will only result in an effort to untangle your earrings in your hotel bathroom. Purchase a small travel jewelry organizer with designated earring compartments to keep things organized even when on the road. And when you get home, return each earring to its designated space.
Proper Storage Tips
Now that we’ve discussed the process for decluttering and categorizing your earrings, it’s important to know proper storage.
- Clean before you store. Despite their shine and beauty, earrings have a dark side. One study found 485 bacteria growths on a pair of earrings after just one week of wear. To keep that Staphylococcus away, clean your earrings after each wear and before you store them. Typically, a 10 minute soak in warm water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid followed by a gentle brushing helps to remove oils, dirt and bacteria. Using a soft cloth is another easy way to gently wipe your jewelry clean.
- Keep it dry. Moisture is one of the main causes of tarnish, so make sure your jewelry is completely dry before storing it. Adding silica gel packets or other moisture-absorbing items can help to keep the air dry in the storage container.
- Limit exposure to air and harsh materials. Exposure to oxygen and certain materials like rubber, latex, wool and felt can cause tarnishing. Consider storing your jewelry in an airtight container to keep it looking shiny for longer.
For more great jewelry storage tips, visit our “How to Store Jewelry” post here.