Put A Ring On It

Do you ever have those mornings where you know you have the perfect accent piece to your wardrobe, but can’t find it?  Too many times I had stood in my closet rifling through my jewelry drawer asking myself, “Where are those earrings …. that necklace … that brooch!?”   I decided to do something about it.

I should mention that my love of all kinds of jewelry whether it is made of shells, precious stones or plastic beads had begun to look like a pile of trash.  As of late, I had so much of it that it was taking me a good twenty minutes to just find a matching earring, let alone get the perfect accent to my outfit.  So, I decided to tackle my tangled trinkets.

If you have a small collection of jewelry, a small jewelry box might suit you just fine, but when you have amassed a large collection as I had, this will not do.  Also, exhibiting your jewelry can add interesting texture and beauty to your space.  So a bedroom bureau is a good choice for showing off your collection, but you can chose any location that gives you counter space.

I have a large master closet that I share with my boyfriend.  So for the sake of fairness I will be using only my half.  The space I am working with is the top of the built-in and two shallow drawers.   I have chosen my closet because that is where I get dressed in the morning and the space is currently under-utilized.  I had been using the drawers as a catch all for my jewelry, but it proved a messy option without compartments and it was difficult to see everything I owned.

Sam Moon is a great choice for finding jewelry displays.  So, I went there to look for some options.  The stands varied in prices ranging from $7.99 to $59.99.  Ultimately, I spent right under $50 for three stands.  My space was able to accommodate three stands, of varying heights, comfortably.   It’s important to make sure that you don’t end up buying things that don’t fit your space so make sure that you measure if you aren’t good at eyeing dimensions.

Not all my jewelry would hang well on these trees so I am still using the space in one of the drawers.  I plan on getting the jewelry organizers with velvet compartments, but for now I made due with the boxes of jewelry that were crammed in my drawer.  I used those to create my compartments for all the things that didn’t hang well.

I added an additional detail by putting a lovely crystal candy dish mixed with a glass ashtray.  The candy dish was a gift that doesn’t get used much and I found the ashtray at “Goodwill” for only a dollar.  I used the small round ashtray to hold my rings, while the larger candy dish holds a few of the earrings that don’t hang.  I also anticipate that it will serve as the catch all for my jewelry when I’m in a hurry.  I am organized, but even I know that there will be times when putting my jewelry back on the tree might be three seconds too many in my rush to get to work, so this is the perfect solution for the times in between.

You can use any color scheme you prefer.  The simple silver-matted based trees and clear crystal harmonize well with the understated antique-white painted wood in my closet, but you can use the black, bronze or gold trees to punch up the drama in your display.  Look around the area where you are displaying your jewelry and see what fits it best.  With natural wood tones, I would have probably gone with a bronze tree to keep the scene serene and earthy.

Now, I have a very efficient display.  And the little fashion detail that sent me spinning in glee when I bought it; is now as accessible as it was at the store.  You also have the option of attaching a lazy Susan on top of the counter so that you can twirl your base around and access all sides of the display from every corner.  You do want to make sure to attach the base of the stands to the lazy Susan with screws or adhere it with a glue gun so it doesn’t topple off.

Basically, you are creating a jewelry counter.  You see this all the time when you go shopping.  Merchandisers have to lay things out so you can see them and want to buy them.  Get your ideas from them.  They are experts at making things accessible.

Now, the piles of jewelry are a beautiful and functional display that will save time and energy.