As you know I literally spend many many hours a week researching different products for my shop however there is one product I simply can’t find to meet my needs….a travel jewelry organizer for my necklaces! There are a number of great ones on the market however I’ve found them to be just too small for what I need. Since I love costume jewelry necklaces and wear them often, I needed something that could hold a number of necklaces in different sizes and lengths without them getting all tangled up. Seriously, how annoying is it when necklaces get all tangled up? I really have no patience for these such things 🙂
This is the jewelry organizer I have which is great for bracelets and earrings but not the best for necklaces. Sorry I can’t remember where I got it, I’ve had it for awhile.
Then last year when I traveled to NY, one of my girlfriends (the one that owns a thrift store and is an organizing junkie too) introduced me to the most inexpensive (think something you’ve already got in your home) yet fabulously functional jewelry organizer I’ve ever seen. Want to know what it is?
Yep a towel, a simple little hand towel.
Now this is the only way I travel with my necklace jewelry. It’s awesome and my jewelry doesn’t get tangled and I can use one or more towels depending on how much jewelry I’m bringing along on my trip.
You just add your jewelry. Add as much or as little as you want.
And start rolling:
And rolling.
Until you reach the end:
Secure it with two hair elastics at each end and you are done!
Throw it into your luggage any which way. They pack super easy and can be tucked into any little space. I love this solution so much!!
So next time you take a trip, take your jewelry for a roll. You’ll be glad you did!
How do you organize your jewelry when you travel?
Marcia (organising queen) says
Your friend is so very clever, I love that very easy and practical solution.
LuAnn Braley says
Love the towel idea…and it is now on my bucket list to one day have enough jewelry that I can’t tastefully wear all of it while I’m travelling. *lol*
Rebecca says
Oh. My. Word!!! Simple and PERFECT! Thank you!!!!
Joanna says
I’ve been using this technique for years, and it really is amazing. If you’re traveling with weight restrictions or only trying to use one suitcase, wrap your necklaces up in a scarf! Does double duty and is super light.
Kaui @ Thrifty Military Mommy says
That’s totally one of those “why didn’t I think of that” kind of organizers! You’re right! Simple and inexpensive. Thanks so much!
Marilyn says
For my smaller earrings and necklaces I use a weekly pill organizer plastic bin- one item per space and they don’t tangle. But the towel or scarf idea would work better with larger necklaces and bracelets. Thanks for the ideas!
Dee says
Love it, thank you I am telling all my friends.
Lisa Muniz says
This is ingenious! My mom is a Red Hatter and travels often and with much jewelry (as well as hats-got a simple tip for traveling those? LOL). I had to forward this on to her. Thanks for the tip!
Lisa Muniz says
for traveling *with* those.
Elizabeth Young says
I use a similar technique, only I use something I’d be bringing on my trip anyway…I roll my necklaces in a scarf and then tuck the entire roll inside one of my packed shoes… perfectly protected and completely safe…
Annette {Simple Mom} says
I don’t wear costume jewelry…but that is brilliant!
Judy says
This is a great idea!
Kayte says
The towel is a great idea! I’ve typically been putting jewelry in a snack sized zip lock page, and then punchin a hole in the top part of the bag and sliding the baggie right on the hanger of the outfit the jewelry matches. I try to fasten as many accessories directly to the outfit/hanger as possible so I just hang my hangers up I the hotel and ready to go every day of my trip.
Rache says
That’s awesome, and I like to take my own face-towels with me when I go away anyway.
Sometimes simple is best. I’ve been looking at all the days of the week kids outfit organisers, and it hit me that my kids would need help to get things in or out of any of these things. we’ve been just folding but things fall out of the piles, so I thought – what we need is something that things can be laid on and just folds over it to make a parcel – and my possible solution? Teatowels. cheap, easy and replaceable if they get lost, and reusable if they don’t work out for us this way. I’m gonna try it plain and simple and see how it goes, and I can see if i need to add handles or velcro or poppers or whatever once i see if it works.
Jo says
What a nifty idea! I once spent a stressful half hour on the morning of a wedding untangling one of those necklaces that are threaded onto that invisible thread because of the way I’d packed it in my bag – not something I want to repeat!
Susanne says
Super good idea! Love how, unlike the bag it will keep your necklaces from getting tangles. Wish I’d seen this post before vacation. I left my necklaces at home for this very reason.
T0715 original says
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little
bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. A great read.
I will definitely be back.
Gwen in L.A. says
Compelled to comment that many travelers carry far too much.
I travel to Japan at least once a year. Switched to mineral makeup years ago, and the ‘sample size’ small containers with screw on lids work well, lasts for weeks. Plus takes up very little space. Travels in a zip lock bag along with 2 makeup brushes and mascara. Deodorant, travel size toothpaste and a toothbrush, plus a wrapped bar of soap, and a sample size of my fav Infinite Aloe lotion, hair brush and comb are are all I pack.
My short hairstyle does not need hairspray btw. just a brush and comb. When it was quite long, a few hair pins, clips and scrunchies for up dos were added.
What I do NOT carry: Shampoo or conditioner, or skin lotions. Purchase that from the 100 Yen stores that are in every neighborhood, along with body wash. Formulated for soft water.
My carry on zip top tote contains medicine in the original Rx bottles, diagnostic/medical records in zip lock bag, and medical equipment (ostomy supplies) in their own specialty small hanging bag, plus extra bags.
FWIW, Medical equipment also can travel as a non-restricted carry on (such as CPAP machines, nebulizers, etc).
Domestically I travel by car mostly. Then I might carry shampoo/conditioner, more ‘stuff”. But minimalist.
Earrings–my fav jewelry–goes in a coin purse within my handbag.
Minimalistically yours,
Janet Barclay says
When travelling, I try to choose neutral pieces that will go with as many as outfits as possible, but this is a fantastic idea, and one that would probably be equally useful for other small items. And you can’t beat using something you already have!
Linda Samuels says
Worth the price of admission! Fabulous tip for traveling with necklaces. Will definitely try this. Thank you.
Laura says
Thanks Linda!!
Tia says
That is brilliant! But I couldn’t help but think if you had a nicer necklace that you didn’t want to roll with the others a good place to put it would be in a travel toothbush holder…and to keep it from getting tangled you could use a bit of painter’s tap to tape one end to the cap…I get paranoid about traveling with nice jewelry and someone going through my stuff and taking something but who would want to take your toothbrush?
Doris says
Going to take the towel idea one step further and sew one to hold the necklaces, sew a strap to the top section of the towel or material and a pouch towards the bottom to hold the body of the necklace. Then roll it and tuck it away in the suitcase..Good idea.
Alice says
Thank you so much for this!
I’m hopeless at storing my jewellery etc neatly at the best of times, and in two weeks I’m off to America for 11 days. I had no idea how I was going to keep everything from getting tangled, but I think you’ve just saved my life in this respect. 🙂 *runs to find hand towel*