Must-Have Tips for Organizing Jewelry and Other Accessories

Most closet organizing tips cover just clothing. But, there's so much more to a wardrobe and closet than clothing. Accessories and jewelry all make up your personal style, and your closet and storage space.

Because every closet is different, it is essential to work with what you have. Some closets have an abundance of hanging space and some have shelves or drawers galore. If you are short on space, there are many ways to maximize the space you do have. Here are my top tips for organizing your accessories no matter what space you have.

Organizing Jewelry and Accessories

1. How to Organize Hats

Whether you are trying to organize baseball caps, beanies, or big beautiful sun hats, or both, the options are pretty similar. Taking into consideration the size of your hat collection, the unique aspects of your closet, and how accessible you’d like your hats, here are some options we like to use for clients.

Option 1: Hanging on a closet rod

I love these hanger clips (that can also be used to hang super tall boots). Have you seen them before? If you have the hanging space, this is a super cool way to organize your hat collection. Here is an organizer that takes hanging hats to the next level with 6 hooks (it’s also great for scarves or belts).

Option 2: In a bin

It's so easy to throw hats in a bin, this solution doesn’t usually work for sun hats, but is a great solution for beanies as well as baseball caps. I like this water hyacinth bin for a closet floor or this rope bin for a closet shelf.

Option 3: Use that wall space 

If you have wall space, hanging hooks for your big hats to hang is a super cute and practical way to organize a tricky item.

Option 4: Set on a shelf

If you have the shelf space, big hats and baseball caps alike can look really great when simply set on a shelf. They are easy to see and access and they don’t require additional organizing products if they can neatly sit out

A note - if you are short on closet space and don't find yourself wearing hats every day, find another space in your home that works for storing these pieces. A guest room closet, hall closet or a bin inside a separate closet in your home.

2. How to Organize Jewelry

I don’t know about you, but I have gone through different jewelry phases in my life. Before you organize, take a look at your jewelry. If you haven’t worn it in the last year, let it go. It could be fun dress-up jewelry for a kid or just donated. If you have nice pieces of jewelry, that’s a different story, but definitely look at your collection and make sure it is one you love.

I now have a few necklaces, a handful of earrings I love, and a pearl necklace that was a wedding gift from my husband. The only rings I have are the ones I wear on my hand and a fake wedding ring to take on vacations. If you have a hundred rings that you love and you rotate wearing, great. So long as you are intentional.

My Favorite Jewelry Organizers

I love a beautiful jewelry box on a dresser or closet shelf, or this same line of stackers jewelry trays looks amazing in drawers as well. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and variations to suit any jewelry collection. They are kind of tricky to shop for online, so if you want to go this route, I suggest editing and sorting your jewelry, then taking a picture of it and heading to The Container Store to choose the pieces that will work best for you. A more budget-friendly, but less customizable tray option, is this set of 4 velvet trays from Amazon.

Hanging necklaces is preferred when possible. If there is a place to hang a few hooks (or however many you need), that can be a great option. I also love this gold necklace stand and this more neutral white and wood necklace stand as a lovely way to display and access your favorite jewelry pieces that you are wearing on the regular.

Where to Put Jewelry

Now that you've organized your jewelry, where should you put it? I like to have a dish or tray on my nightstand with my most worn pieces - everyday earrings, rings and bracelets. I keep my jewelry box inside of my closet on top of a storage shelf. If you have pieces you are keeping but not wearing regularly, you can store them elsewhere in your home.

3. How to Organize Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a lot like jewelry. If you have a shelf you’d like to display your sunglasses on, I love this option. If you prefer to store them in a drawer, the deep stackers tray that has 3 compartments is the perfect size for sunglasses, especially if it coordinates with the jewelry organization you are using.

This 6 slot acrylic sunglasses tray is also a nice option for a shelf or a drawer.

4. How to Organize Belts, Scarves, and Ties

My favorite way to store belts, scarves and ties is by hanging them on a hook or placing them in a bin. Here are some products I love for organizing these items.

I have two hooks I love that are super versatile and can also be used for bags, belts, scarves, and ties if you just have a couple of items and don’t want a whole setup. They are the umbra hitch accessory organizer and the chrome metal purse hanger.

This is a scarf organizer that is a great option if you want your scarves hung. I also like this giant hanging hook if you just have a few scarves and are fine with them being stacked on each other. I prefer to file fold and place scarves in a drawer or bin when possible.

I have used the linen cambridge drawer organizers to sort both ties and belts (especially belts with big buckles that don’t hang easily on a hook. Roll them up, place each one in the 8 compartment organizer and they look beautiful either on a shelf or in a drawer.

If you have a number of ties and belts, this is a great tie hanger and belt hanger option that coordinates with natural wood hangers.

5. How to Organize Purses and Clutches

Option 1: Hanging on a closet rod

I love the different purse hook options out there. They are beautiful, sturdy, care for handles, and a great solution, especially for big floppy bags that don’t take up a lot of space. Here are my favorites:

• The Home Edit by iDesign S-hook

• Black purse hanger

• Acrylic purse hanger

Option 2: In a bin

Do you have a few purses you don’t care to have on display and would rather just throw somewhere? Throw them in a bin! Any bin will work great to store your purses and bags. You can even use different bins for different sizes or colors or types of your favorite bags.

Option 3: Use that wall space

Do you have a place where you can hang the purse you are using daily right now? Or…just like the hats, a wall space where it makes sense to hang multiple bags? If you are tight on space, don’t forget about the wall space as an option. Command hooks can work for light tote bags, but consider installing a heavier duty hook for big purses, especially if they are filled with items.

Option 4: Set on a shelf

If you have the shelf space you can style your shelves using your purses and facing them out. Use packaging from your latest Amazon package or packing paper to give it some shape and enjoy the beauty of your purses on display (doing this also helps care for your purses). If you are trying to maximize the space, but still want the purses set on the shelf, use acrylic shelf dividers for bigger purses and acrylic clutch dividers for smaller clutches. This is such a beautiful way to keep purses visible and on display, but in an orderly way.

I know there are categories I haven’t covered, but with these principles, you can create the categories you want, keep the product consistent, add labels, and make it YOURS.

Are you ready to organize your closet accessories? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.