Thinking Outside the Box

One of my favorite organizing tricks is not using something for its intended purpose.  This originally stemmed from a lack of funds but soon turned into a creative outlet.  What do I mean?  Well, as you know, I am a huge fan of "a place for everything and everything in its place".  I love the idea of having a specific home for everything.  With that being said, I ran into a problem with my jewelry.

During college I worked in a trendy boutique that mainly sold jewelry.  I had a love of earrings and such beforehand but that job took it to a whole new level.  Over the years I have purged and purchased ... lost and found … broken and fixed many different pieces.  I finally came to the conclusion that there had to be a simpler way of keeping track of everything.

The first thing I did was take care of my necklaces.  I don’t know how much time I spent untangling chains but it was too much.  They sell plenty of fancy little wire sculptures to hang necklaces on but I was never satisfied with them.  They always seemed too flimsy or too small to meet my needs.  I ended up finding the perfect solution in key ring wall hooks.

There are several options out there so I am sure you can find a style you enjoy.  What makes them so perfect is that they are made to hold keys so they are sturdy and capable of holding a large quantity of items.  It works like a charm for keeping chunky beaded necklaces and fine chain necklaces from becoming permanently attached.

The next quest was to find a solution for my dangly earrings.  I went to a salvage store and bought a large picture frame for $1.00.  I then went to World Market and bought (on clearance) a loosely woven place mat that coordinated well with the frame.  I staple-gunned the place mat to the inside of the frame where the glass would have been.  I mounted it on the wall and it worked great!  I am now able to easily hang all of my earrings in pairs and effortlessly see, at a glance, what I have and what I don't.

The final aspect was bracelets and stud earrings.  I have an old wooden box on my dresser where I keep the rest of my jewelry.  Personally, I don't have many bracelets so those weren't really an issue (I just keep them in a stack) but the stud earrings were.  They roll around everywhere and are smaller and easier to lose track of.  The perfect solution for me was a daily pill organizer.  It keeps all the studs separated and easy to keep track of.  It's also great for traveling!

Some times it will be hit or miss.  Just experiment and see what you can come up with.  None of the items I used were for their intended purpose and yet they worked flawlessly.  You never know how creative you can be until you try.