How to Pack Jewelry for Travel - Stop the Tangles Dance!

After a wonderful driving vacation through Maine, I realized just how ill equipped I was for traveling with jewelry.

At home it is easy enough as I have a wall rack for my necklaces and a couple of boxes with compartments for my earrings, and a wonderful jewelry box my dad made me years ago, but traveling is another story completely.

Don't laugh but I simply put it all in baggies in a tupperware container, so you can imagine the tangled mess from hauling my suitcases around each day as we stayed in a different town each night.

When I got home I researched either making your own homemade way to travel with jewelry or some of the affordable options on the market.

If you love to work with fabric and are into DIY, check out this video:

This makes a really personalized jewelry pack, and this will stop the tangles and keep your bling organized.

How to Travel With Jewelry - If you are Not a DIY Person!!

But I decided to research a bit further as we are heading on the road again to help my daughter move and visit soon, and I wanted to bring some of my bling with me, I checked these other options online.

Conair Jewelry Roll Up Bag

Check this out, it is the best seller on Amazon right now, and for under 15 bucks you can take a fair bit of jewelry and bling, and keep them all separated.  At this writing there was over 530 reviews of happy customers.  This is perfect if you have a few pieces to take but not a lot.

Hanging Travel Roll Up Bag for Jewelry

I can tell you from experience, those chains and earrings will always find a way to dance and get tangled.

I personally am interested in the hanging one that I can simply roll up and take with me in my suitcase and when I get to the hotel or wherever I am staying, I can hang it up in the bathroom and be able to quickly choose my pieces.  This one holds a lot of pieces.

I actually have decided this would be a better option at home too.  This way I don't have to pick and choose which pieces to take with me, and don't have the bother of having to put them all away when I get home.

It all depends on how many pieces you need to travel with or store.  I personally love my bling, so the larger the travel bag the better but it can't take up too much room either.

How to Pack Jewelry for Moving - Don't Leave it in the Jewelry Box - It will be a Mess - Been There Done That!

If you think a typical jewelry box will survive a move, I can tell you it won't.  It may look OK, and you may have packed it tightly in a box, but somehow on that trip to your new destination they will tangle and you will be faced with a mess.

Hanging Jewelry Organizer

Start a few weeks before the move, and this would also be a great time to clean out your jewelry box or storage drawer.

Put a clean towel on your table and then put a few pieces at a time, and get rid of broken things, dust and dirt.

If you have the time it might be a good time to use some jewelry cleaner to make your pieces shine again.

Purchase these affordable hanging jewelry pockets and place your pieces in the pockets. Then simply roll them up and place them in a packing box, or your suitcase. Pack the jewelry box separately.

When you get to your new place, simply hang them up in the closet until you get sorted and unpacked.  As much as I love my jewelry box my dad made me years ago, I have decided I will keep my jewelry in these hanging pockets because it makes it easier to match up with your outfit for the day if you hang them in your closet or even the back of the door.

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner

This ultrasonic cleaner will quickly clean your jewelry pieces as well as glasses and coins.  You only have to add water and the machine does the rest gently.

At this writing there were over 3100 happy reviews!  Moving would be a great time to get this job done and there really is no labor involved on your part.  I will make my dad's jewelry box still a part of my room as it means a lot to me, but my day to day bling will hang in one of these hanging pouches.

Pick a time before your move to sort out your jewelry and clean it, and then pack it fresh into hanging jewelry pouches for the move.  If you are using a traveling hanging box for your clothes, these pouches could go with your clothes.

If many of the pieces are valuable, then roll up the pouches and keep them with your personal items on your person at all times.  But this way they don't get damaged.

How to Untangle Jewelry

If your necklaces have already done the mysterious dance and got tangled, there is a way to get them apart.  I know with me a couple of delicate chains ended up in a drawer because I didn't want to break them and yet I couldn't wear them.

What You Will Need:

Baby Oil - any brand

Clean towel

Sewing needle

Some Patience!

Method:

Place the tangled mess on a clean towel.

Liberally pour baby oil over the tangled knots.

Work it into the knots with your hands, (yes you will get oily but your skin will feel great!).

Then with the needle gently begin to pick apart the tangle.

The baby oil makes the chains slide easily.  Yes it will feel oily, but they can be cleaned afterwards.   This oil trick really does work as a lubricant for separating the chains without breaking.

How to Travel with Jewelry? 

Invest in a few affordable roll up bags, or make your own and not only make it easier to find the right piece for the right outfit, but enjoy your trip without the worries of tangles or large cases taking up to much room.