Organize Jewelry with Screens

BEFORE:

This is how I stored my necklaces before I figured out a better way.

Note that they're simply hanging on a child's hanger. Getting a necklace off is not fun. It entails correctly selecting the strand you want and hoping that it doesn't get tangled with all the other necklaces hanging on that side. Yuck.

I'm happy to report that I found a much better system. It's customized, simple, and it keeps everything from tangling.

AFTER:

What you're seeing are window screens with drapery hooks inserted to hold necklaces and bracelets. Earrings that have french hooks can simply be slipped directly into the screening.

There are many great things about this system. First of all, it's customizable. I had space by the light switch in my walk-in closet where I wanted to hang jewelry and another spot on the side of my built-in shoe organizer. I did some measuring and figured out that three 10 by 18 inch screens would fit perfectly. I simply had my local glass and window shop --  Bennett's Glass -- make them. (See details on screen specs below.)

The next great thing about this system is that you can hang matching jewelry together making it easy to mix and match your accessories with your outfits. Now instead of looking in three different places for necklaces, bracelets and earrings, I can just go to one place to find them all!

Finally, this system is completely removable. Because I attached the screens with 3M - Command Velcro strips, I can temporarily take the screens down to rearrange the hooks. If, for some reason, I wanted to take them down permantly, I could. The strips are especially made to be non-damaging and removable from both the wall and the frames. Cinchy!

HOW TO MAKE JEWELRY SCREENS:

1. Figure out where you could hang a jewelry screen. Tip A) I would NOT put them on the back of a door. That's too much movement and might damage the finish on your door and/or jewelry. Tip B) Horizontal spaces maximize the amount of jewelry you can hang. I feel like the screens placed vertically on the side of my shoe organizer were a little more difficult to organize than the horizontal screen above my light switch.
2. Decide on the size of screen you'll need. Your local window/glass shop will need the outside measurement to make your new screen. Tip A) Make sure that you get the screen(s) made with metal mesh -- NOT fiberglass. The metal will hold up better with the drapery hooks and weight of jewelry.  Tip B) If you're looking to save money, try to scavenge for pre-made screens. My three screens cost roughly $15 each. But you might be able to find ready-made screens at garage sales, estate sales, farm sales, and possibly thrift stores.
3. Purchase drapery hooks and Command velcro strips. When you're ready to hang the screens up, carefully follow the printed directions on the velcro strips to the letter. (It worked great for me!)
4. Before attaching the screent to the velcro on the wall, insert the drapery hooks first -- sharp end first. And, yes, the hooks are going to bend/displace the wire mesh a little bit. But it's just a one-time thing. I have some fairly heavy necklaces, and although the hook makes a bit bigger hole upon insertion, it hasn't gotten any bigger with days of haning.
5. Enjoy!