Whether dealing with pricey pieces, costume jewelry or everyday favorites, moving all your jewelry isn’t as straightforward as packing most things. First of all, it’s tiny and without proper care, you can end up unpacking a knotted and tangled mess.
Certain specialty items, like fancy jewelry rolls, can help, but buying enough jewelry organizers to hold everything could get costly. You may also struggle to find small jewelry boxes while on your search for packing boxes.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to pack up your jewelry that incorporate everyday items. From sandwich bags to toilet paper rolls, you can keep your precious jewelry safe and tangle-free no matter how far you’re moving.
1. Keep necklaces from becoming a knotted mess
Those delicate chains may look beautiful hanging around your neck, but once you take them off it seems like they do nothing but tangle up with each other.
It can take longer than you may think to untangle a necklace, and when there are multiple necklaces, you’re in big trouble.
How you pack your necklaces when moving can mean the difference between everything coming out separately and it all becoming a giant ball of jewelry. And, while the ideal option may appear that you need a proper jewelry box, that’s not always possible.
Instead, keep your necklaces safe with these easy tricks.
Straws
One of the best ways to pack necklaces when moving is to use a straw. Thread a necklace through a straw and clasp it once it runs through. A single straw should essentially “wear” each necklace. For shorter chains, you may have to cut the straw to make everything fit.
Once every necklace is secure, line up all your straws and make a jewelry roll secured by bubble wrap.
You end up with a jewelry bundle that makes it easy to pack necklaces in a single batch.
Paper towel rolls
For really long chains and larger necklaces, you can use the same strategy as the straw with a paper towel roll. You can put multiple necklaces around a single roll, but consider taping them into place with gift wrap tape (it’s not as sticky), so they don’t roll into each other and tangle.
For shorter chains, grab a cardboard toilet paper roll and use it instead to store necklaces. It may look silly to have your expensive necklaces all looped around a toilet paper roll, but it saves you from tangled jewelry for sure.
Index cards
For those statement necklaces that are pretty chunky and big, another way to consider packing them is to use index cards.
- Cut an index card in half
- Poke a hole in the center of the card
- Thread the necklace through the hole and secure the clasp
This method helps keep your jewelry separate and prevents tangled necklaces, as well.
You can even store necklaces separately by putting each index card into separate sandwich bags.
2. Prevent bracelets from tangling, too
Like with necklaces, bracelet chains are thin and delicate enough to tangle up as you pack jewelry altogether when moving. You can pack both pieces using the same strategies, so don’t discount ideas you’ve already used. However, here are a few additional methods to consider.
Plastic wrap
For chunkier pieces that have less risk of tangling, you don’t have to take as much care with how you secure them. Think of those woven or beaded bracelets where the chain isn’t exposed. You can use Ziploc bags if you want, although that can quickly create a lot of waste.
Instead, consider plastic wrap as the solution. Lay out a large sheet and give each bracelet its own section so when you fold it up, each is secure in its own space. The plastic wrap serves as an insulator, too, so you can just put the whole package into your box. Just make sure to press firmly so nothing slips out.
Cardboard toilet paper rolls
For more delicate pieces, grab a toilet paper roll. Since bracelets are all relatively the same size, you can get them all around a roll without issue. The more there are on a single roll, the less likely they are to tangle.
For extremely thin chains, consider doing the one straw per bracelet trick, too.
Carabiner
A carabiner works in much the same way, only instead of having to clasp and unclasp your jewelry, you just slip it on. Once you attach everything, wrap the carabiner up in paper to protect your bundle. You can even clip the carabiner to an inside loop in your own bag for extra security.
3. Make sure earrings stay in pairs
The hardest thing about having to pack jewelry is the earrings. How many times have you lost only one? It’s almost more frustrating than misplacing a pair, but these tricky jewelry pieces are easy to keep together when you move with the right packing materials.
Buttons
One of the easiest ways to store jewelry like earrings is with the aid of a button. You just need to make sure the button holes are big enough to thread the earring through.
After you separate each pair of earrings and match them to the right-sized button, stick each piece through a buttonhole and secure it with the earring back. You can then put all your complete sets into Ziploc bags, pad them with some bubble wrap and they’re as good as packed.
Pill organizer
For more expensive jewelry like diamond studs, you may want to consider grabbing a pill organizer. Better than a jewelry box, a pill case has small compartments that prevent jewelry from moving around. It’s also an easy option to fit into your personal bag on moving day.
When moving earrings, a pill case not only keeps everything together, but it’s discreet. If you’re moving those diamond studs and don’t want anyone to know, pill cases often aren’t see-through. Nobody will know what’s in there.
This tip is also helpful when it comes to packing rings.
Foam or felt
If you just have too many earrings for a pill case or buttons to really work, using a sheet of foam or felt can make it easy to keep everything together. You can pick up either of these items at an art store and get as many sheets as you need for a minimal price.
All you have to do is poke your earrings through the material and lock them into place with their backs. By the end, you’ll have a whole sheet of earrings. Wrap the entire thing in bubble wrap, plastic wrap or packing paper, and you’re done.
4. Get your rings to your new home
While you could just toss your rings into a travel jewelry roll or even a baggie, taking a little more care to how your transport them is necessary. Unlike other jewelry, though, it’s pretty easy to keep rings from getting tangled, so it’s less work to pack these up.
Egg carton
A repurposed egg carton is an ideal way to pack rings. You can place one to two rings in each cup, with a little tissue paper to hold everything in place.
Once it’s full, seal the egg carton well and then, wrap it up all the way with plastic wrap. This ensures nothing falls out as you pack and also makes it obvious that it’s in use and not something to simply through away.
Tacklebox
A great solution to store necklaces, watches and other jewelry pieces, a small tackle box has a ton of built-in compartments ready for all jewelry items.
Rings especially work here since some of the compartments are on the smaller side, but larger sections can hold everything from watches to statement necklaces.
If you’re worried about anything jangling around too much, grab some tissue paper or even toilet paper to fill in any gaps.
5. Keep an inventory and label everything
No matter how valuable your jewelry is, you need to keep track of all of it. Even packed well, jewelry is small and easy to misplace. Especially when deep in the chaos of moving, something could easily slip off a hard surface or fall into the seam of a big box.
To avoid misplacing anything, keep a watchful eye out, but also, make sure to catalog each piece individually. Making a jewelry inventory, with pictures, gives you a great record of all your small jewelry items. Then, no matter how you pack them, you’ve got your list, which you should carry with all the important documents that go with you on moving day.
You can even try to pack all your jewelry into a single box that you take in your car or carry on the plane rather than giving it to movers to transport.
6. Identifying your jewelry box
Even if you decide you can’t cart your jewelry around with you in a small bag and decide to box it all up, make sure you always know which packing box is your jewelry box. There are a few ways to do this, without making it obvious the box has jewelry inside.
- Number all your boxes and keep a running list of what’s in each
- Get a different color of packing tape to seal up boxes with your valuable pieces in them
- Give your jewelry box a special, room-specific, label that only means something to you
You can always label the box “bedroom dresser” instead of just bedroom or closet so you know that’s where your jewelry is hiding.
Moving jewelry requires added protection
Whether or not you’re dealing with valuable jewelry, making sure you pack everything properly when moving ensures it arrives at your new home safely. This can mean you carefully roll everything up, you incorporate a few repurposed items from around your home or you splurge on a travel jewelry organizer to hold everything carefully. Regardless, with a little extra care and attention, you can pack up all your precious items without having to worry about how they’ll travel.
Source: rent.com