How To Keep Jewelry Organized On Your Dresser

something i’ve really noticed about myself over the past couple of years is that if there is a blank surface in the house - the coffee table, the kitchen counter, the dining room table etc - it will probably inevitably end up becoming a ‘dump zone.’ just what is a dump zone you ask? a zone where pretty much everything that shouldn’t be there ends up getting dumped. it drives me CRAZY.

when i finally found an apartment with enough room to fit this dresser last year, i knew i wanted it to look beautifully styled but most importantly be functional. since my closet is so small that i actually can’t stand up in it (house tour coming soon with pics), my dresser top is the only sensible spot in the house to store jewelry.

though i have tried and failed many times in the past to store my jewelry collection in way that is pretty but also well organized, i think i’ve finally found a system that works for me. here’s my process for keeping jewelry organized on my dresser once and for all:

Take Inventory Of How Much Jewelry You Have

as you probably guessed, the first thing i did was PURGE. i realized that so many pieces would just sit out on my dresser and get dusty, and rather than finding a drawer to stash them in i realized they were getting dusty because i was never reaching for them. so out they went.

after that, it was so much easier to take a look at what i had and what i would need - something vertical for long dangly earrings, a few little trays for rings, etc.

Create A ‘Grid’ On Your Dresser And Divide It Up

once i had a collection i felt good about, i started to mentally create a grid on the dresser top. i knew i wanted to have more than just my jewelry collection on there, so i added books, a couple plants and pretty vases, and a photo.

next, i knew i would need a pretty place for perfume and a couple sentimental items like my great-great-grandmother’s hair comb, so i decided to dedicate a good chunk of the right side to this mirrored tray. i love a mirrored tray on a dresser top if you can fit one, because it reflects light so beautifully and makes metallics and glass bottles look extra pretty.

Display Statement Pieces On Their Own

for statement pieces that i wear often, like these two pendants and the gold arm cuff, it was easier to just let them have their own space and double as artwork.

i try to keep the amount of statement pieces to only two or three though, because otherwise i’ll go crazy and lay out everything and it’ll all get tangled within a week or two.

Pair Like Items Together To Find Them Faster

i loved hunting for pretty, smaller trays to cluster on the dresser top and fill with like items. i grouped colorful cocktail rings on one, and designated another for single statement stud earrings.

Find A Closed Catch-All Or Two For Random Stuff

that mango wood and crystal box has been a complete game changer for me. i actually loved it so much that when i found it at Home Goods, someone stole it from my cart (high treason, am i right?!) and i spent 15 minutes tracking them down in the store. #worthit.

this serves as a catch-all for any chunky jewelry that looks weird laid out on the dresser top, or even my most recent receipts from a shopping trip if i’m not sure i’m keeping everything. i also keep a little pair of scissors in there for snipping tags off of a new dress or fixing a rogue sweater thread.

Get Creative And Find Pretty Small Dishes and Trays

i realized that i used to try to just display all my jewelry right on the dresser top, and after a couple weeks everything would get jumbled and mixed up.

it helped me so much to find cute little trays i could group together. a few of these aren’t even meant to hold jewelry - that ceramic blue and white one with the rings on top is actually a spoon rest from Mociun! there are so many fun possibilities.

Hang Anything Too Long Or Delicate

finally, i allowed myself a small space on the wall for this jewelry hook that holds anything too long or delicate to go anywhere else. it holds a good amount of jewelry, but it forces me not to overdo it.

so that’s my system for keeping jewelry organized on the dresser top!

it’s been amazing to actually be able to SEE everything i have, because this way i end up reaching for a fun pair of earrings on a random Monday which just brightens up the day.

what are your favorite ways to keep jewelry organized? ?