I never seem to remember to wear jewelry. I used to be the “Queen of Accessorizing” so said my mom in high school, but as of late, I just can’t seem to remember that last step before I run out the door. Knowing that, one might wonder why I would even bother wasting space and weight on it? There are several reasons behind my decision making.

1.) I will be attending a prestigious, private university and have a hunch that most other students will be far better off financially than myself. I have been assured that there is no dress code but I can bet that no one will be showing up to class in sweatpants or leggings.

2.) In two years when I graduate, I will certainly be expected to dress professionally. Making these habits and building a functional wardrobe in general will help make this transition easier.

3.) I was so much more productive and thoughtful in my everyday life in Berlin last summer. I don’t know why, but something about the way of life in Germany lead to more time to plan outfits, take time on makeup, etc. If the same pattern holds in Frankfurt, I imagine accessorizing will happen more frequently and be less stressful.

4.) Finally, I am going to be gone for 2 years and I have no idea if I will be returning home after graduation. I don’t want to leave my jewelry at home because I don’t think I will wear it at school, then not have it when I go for interviews or start my career.

With the decision made to bring most of my jewelry collection, I then had the task of organizing it so that it would not only be compact and safe for travel but functional for everyday use.

After a lot of searching online for the perfect jewelry organizer, my mother kindly reminded me of the one I used way back in the day for rodeo queening. After some digging, I found this beauty (QVC circa 2005) which should serve my purposes well. Best of all, it was free!

Most of this organizer is self explanatory… There are a bunch of pouches in assorted sizes to keep jewelry contained and visible. There is one pouch with a ring holder and two big pouches at the bottom. There’s a little loop on the top where you could hang it on a wall or loop it over a clothes hanger if you wanted.

These big pouches would be great for large statement necklaces, but I thought of a better use for them as earring pouches. One of the things I liked most in all the organizers I found online was either a piece of cardboard or fabric with holes where earrings are stuck through. Since my organizer didn’t have such a feature, I thought how easy it would be to make them.

I measured out the shape of the pouch pockets and cut them out of thin cardboard; such that you would find on a cereal box. I covered it with scrap fabric using some spray adhesive that I had laying around, poked holes with a push pin and was good to go! The other bonus is that I got to poke my own holes so the earrings were able to fit on the cards in the best way possible.

I suppose the last thing to mention is what all I actually packed in this sucker. I was able to fit:

• 11 necklaces
• 4 bracelets
• 1 watch
• 3 rings
• 21 pairs of earrings
• I will be adding a few pins to my earring card as well in hindsight.

Here is the finished product! Full to the brim with my jewelry but very organized. Since it’s already packed, I will be able to get ready with it all summer and find any flaws in my design. The final weight is .5 kg (less than one tenth of a pound) according to my luggage scale. This will be traveling in my carry-on just in case my checked luggage gets lost or rummaged through by TSA.

What do you think of my little DIY project?

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