lifestyle

How to Organize Accessories

As Garrett kindly put it the other day, I’m the most disorganized organized person. It’s true. I’ve been a serious mess lately. It’s a combination of having too little space, too much stuff, and not enough energy to tackle the whole thing. As a result… my apartment has been disheveled. Everything, really… but I am getting it back in tip top shape! 
We started this weekend and I still have a ways to go! One of the things that has been driving me insane? My jewelry drawer!!!! Insanity. Statement necklaces and bangles out the wazoo. I forgot about 80% of the things I have just because I couldn’t see them!

My apartment is definitely “good enough” for what I need as an almost 25-year-old living in NYC. There are definitely things I wish I could change, but I have to say… my bathroom is pretty amazing as far as city bathrooms go. (You just have to disregard the fact that the door only swings open 40% of the way before getting stopped by the toilet….)

So much storage! The shelves are so great that I wish I had them in my bedroom. Deep and wide. Two thumbs up from this girl. There are three shelves and the top two have three baskets each which are perfect for hiding away things that aren’t too pretty. (Extra toilet paper, cleaning supplies, cosmetic cases, about 400 things of nail polish, first aid kits, etc.)

I use the bottom shelf for the things I regularly need access to.

You can see the three little jars all the way to the left: one with all my ponytail holders, one with q-tips, and one with cotton swabs. (These are similar to the ones I have.)

I must have walked up and down the aisles of the Container Store sixteen times before I settled on the jewelry stands. So. Perfect. I love being able to see all of my bangles and bracelets all lined up. The taller one is supposed to be for necklaces, but I had too many bracelets for just one and I like that they’re different heights so I can see everything at once.
The nail polish tray is pretty adorable too. It looks so cute and organized!
I have to say though… The letter sorter is one of my more exciting discoveries. The story behind it is that I’ve had it on my desk since I moved in. I used it to hold stationery. But in an effort to declutter my deskspace, I retired it and put my stationery in an organized box. For a few days, the letter sorter was just sitting on my tv stand all lonely… Ummmm… Two iPhone cases fit perfectly side by side in each slot… so it organizes ten of them!!! I love switching out my cases and now I can see them all lined up without having to dig through drawers searching for the perfect one.
Do you have any organizational tips for storing accessories?


xoxo
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44 Comments

Annie

Oh my gosh I absolutely love this!! I wish I was good at organizing jewelry but it all gets so mixed together when I take stuff off at the end of the day and I never feel like putting it back. I just use little trays to hold rings and dainty necklaces and tins for bracelets. Larger necklaces I have hung up on command hooks which is convenient but not the nicest looking. How do you hang your statement necklaces?

Annie Belle

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Zoe Diaz-McLeese

I love how you organized it! I'm in a constant struggle with how to organize my jewelry… I tend to keep all of my necklaces and bracelets in little jewelry bags to keep them all separate. The letter sorter for iPhone cases is a brilliant idea! Right now mine are in a random drawer by my desk… Now I'm inspired to reorganize everything!

xo,
Zoe
La Vie en Zoe

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Gigi @ Dolce and Gabriella

Awww love your little Essies all lined up in a row…what a great use of space in your bathroom! Having a getting ready station feels so indulgent and girly. My favorite "storage hack" like your letter sorter is using 99-cent votive holders from IKEA to corral my hair clips…one holds bobby pins, one elastics and a third, little butterfly clips. Can't wait to see the rest of your storage solutions!

Love, Gigi
Dolce and Gabriella

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Ella W

How do you keep your necklaces organized? That's always a pain for me, because I want them on display so I actually wear them, but then everything gets tangled… It's a real pain. I would really appreciate some advice getting my necklaces organized.
Thanks.
-Ella

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Jyllian

It's so hard in small apartments with no storage space to stay organized! I definitely fall into the "disorganized organized person" category when it comes to accessories and makeup.

jyllalongtheway.blogspot.ca

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Leda Olia

Hi! Love these ideas. They'll work for a small or a big space. So definitely helpful for my upcoming dorm move-in! Quick question about the jewelry stands, though: does it ever get annoying when you're in desperate need of a bangle (no clasp) that's somewhere in the middle of the stack? Do you have to take just about every other bangle/bracelet off the stand before you get to the one you need? And is there any way to remedy this?

xo Leda
littlegirlbiggerworld.blogspot.com

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the kimberly diaries

I love the container store! I have two necklace pegboards that I have on my wall, and also an under-the-sink hairdryer holder. Another thing I did when I lived in a tiny UES apartment was hang a shoe organizer inside my bathroom door for extra shampoo/product bottles!

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Jessie Springer

I love the acrylic jewelry stand! It makes your closet feel more like a boutique! 🙂 Since we moved, my husband and I are sharing a closet, which has made closet organization a struggle! I'm going to have to run by Container Store this weekend and see if I, too, can find something to help me get organized! 🙂

Jessie Holmes Springer
jessieholmesspringer.com

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Jacqueline Weiss

Love how you did that shelf! I was amazed when I watched your apartment tour how much storage you have in your apartment (especially those shelves in your bathroom), definitely hard to come by in NY from what I've seen! Can't wait to see what you organize next!

Best,
Jacqueline

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inaworldofbees.com

I use a cork board for my statement necklaces, it helps to see all of them I find myself wearing some I forgot about. I went through a huge earring stage before college and of course I still have them; when I left for college and took some I wanted to store them in drawers and ice trays was the best solution. They have small compartments so you can do one pair in each, they stack, and you can see each piece you have. I also found out they are great for those dainty necklaces you don't always wear and keeps them from tangling. Lastly remember to only show some pieces and keep others that are old and not your style in a box for later or to see if you ever reach for them again before you donate them!
I love organizing!

xoxo
Brooke

inaworldofbees.com

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hillaryshesterkin

Hey Carly!

You've talked about The Container Store before on your blog, but I never knew it had a website. So excited about those jewelry holders! And that nail polisher holder? Super cute. I love when we're able to make our home like our personal jewelry shop/nail salon/what have you oasis. One think I like to do is keep my bobby pins in a clear shot glass. I'm always in need of them, and they're usually all over the place (except when I need them!). But putting them on display right where I can see them and in an organized fashion is a beautiful remedy!

Blog on Carly! You're a rockstar!

xo

Hillary

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Ivonne Mata

I love your iphone cases, they're so cute!!! Please tell us where they're from 🙂 I love the idea of a letter holder to store the cases, I have so many of them and wuld like to store them more properly other than having them in a drawer.

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Becca

I can't even begin to explain how much I love this post! I currently have a bunch of black bracelet holders and necklace storage items, which I think definitely put a damper on the exciting colors of all my jewelry (such a bummer). I never even thought of finding clear ones. What do you do for necklaces?? Any tips for getting the big chunky ones up and out of the way?

rebecca-ruth.blogspot.com

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Jenn Cramer

You have so so so many iPhone cases!!! That's just crazy to me! Do you find that those cases protect your phone well, or do you just not drop your phone often {like me!}.

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Kiki

Carly, did you notice if there were similar holders for long station necklaces? I'm looking for a good way to store those. Thanks!

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Tara Louise

fantastic picks! i definitely need one of those bracelet holders… i keep them all in a kate spade box and it's getting to be a problem!
xo
Tara
shoesillneverhave.blogspot.com

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Krystal M

I've been looking for something pretty to display my bracelets on and the stands you have are perfect! Oh and I love how many phone cases you have. I have tons too and never thought of organizing them that way. Thanks for the great organizing ideas.

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Style Sprinter

I totally have OCD about organizing everything but when the space is limited it is sometimes hard to accomplish. Thanks for the tips though! I really liked how you organized your bracelets, nail polishes, and iPhone cases. You inspired me to organize some Summer Cleaning action over the weekend.

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Jen

I love the acrylic jewelry stands too! It easily goes with everything and it doesn't stick out. The focus remains on the jewelry which I like.

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Ashley Stockwell

I just moved and this post is so perfect! Now that I'm sharing a space with my fiance I have to be a little more conscientious of where I put all my accessories. I was just at The Container Store for bookshelves – guess I'll be back again this weekend. #notsorry

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Mrs. Mason Dixon

Love the nail polish holder! I use a wider, acrylic letter sorter that I got from Target to organize my clutches/wallets. They fit well and it keeps them displayed nicely.

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Carly Edwards

Thank you for sharing this–it looks great! I would love to see how you organize your stationery–that is something that I am still trying to figure out.

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Eric Bosloor

Haha! I most definitely don't have as many accessories as this, but I have my own fair share. I'm glad that my home in South Western Sydney has enough space to accommodate everything though, if not I'm glad to have found some of your tips here!

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