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Amanda Prahl is a freelance contributor to LifeSavvy. She has an MFA in dramatic writing, a BA in literature, and is a former faculty associate focusing on writing craft and history. Her articles have appeared on HowlRound, Slate, Bustle, BroadwayWorld, and ThoughtCo, among others. Read more...

Frustrated by finding your jewelry tangled up when you travel? These DIY solutions will save you time (and money) while keeping your jewelry safe, clean, and tangle-free.

When it comes to packing, people are always discussing clothing, toiletries, and electronics, but what about the tiny details? Earrings can lose backs, necklaces become tangled, and before you know it, your vacation jewelry is a mess. These easy tips for packing jewelry will make sure your accessories are ready to go as soon as you arrive.

Table of Contents Use Straws to Keep Necklaces from Getting Tangled Buy or Make a Jewelry Roll Put Earrings on Cards Use Pill Boxes or Mint Tins as Organizers Use Plastic Wrap for Packing

Use Straws to Keep Necklaces from Getting Tangled Buy or Make a Jewelry Roll Put Earrings on Cards Use Pill Boxes or Mint Tins as Organizers Use Plastic Wrap for Packing

There’s nothing worse than lifting out a necklace to wear, only to find that it is completely knotted and tangled up. One of the easiest solutions involves using straws.

Yep, you read that right. Basic plastic or paper straws are the perfect hack for keeping your thin-chain necklaces free of knots while in transit. The idea is to use the straw on part of the chain to keep it straight and out of contact with the rest of the chain, reducing the likelihood of tangles.

Just follow these quick steps before packing up your necklaces:

Biodegradable, colorful, and sturdy to keep your necklaces untangled.

The trick to keeping necklaces free of knots and tangles, no matter the approach, is to keep the chain from coming into contact with itself. To that end, a jewelry roll can be a smart choice too, with the added bonus of padding the items from in-transit jostling.

You can either purchase a jewelry roll pre-made, or DIY one like this:

Organize and protect your jewelry, and keep it from getting tangled.

Use a soft washcloth to make your own jewelry roll.

One of the trickiest parts of traveling with earrings is the constant worry that an earring back will get lost or misplaced. There are several different methods you can try to ensure your earrings get to your destination intact and ready to use.

A backing card can help keep your earrings organized, avoid tangling of longer earrings, and help the backings stay on them. If your earrings don’t already have a backing card (or if you’ve thrown it away to reduce storage space), you can make one yourself.

All you need for a DIY earring backing card is a sturdy piece large enough to accomodate all the earrings you want to take, while leaving a little space in between. Simply punch your earrings through the material and snap the backs on the back of the card.

You can choose any number of materials to make your own earring cards, including:

For added protection, slip the earring card inside of a plastic bag or cloth jewelry pouch, so that on the outside chance an earring back slips off, it will land right in the bag and not get lost.

Not feeling the DIY route? You can always purchase a pack of earring cards.

No jewelry organizer? No problem! You can turn common items in your cabinets into DIY jewelry holders with minimal effort.

If you’re looking for something that will let you organize your outfits and protect your jewelry at the same time, consider using a “day by day” style pill organizer. The small, individual cells can keep small jewelry pieces, especially rings and earrings, separate and safe. Plus, you can even pre-plan your outfits and accessories, putting each day’s jewelry in its corresponding cell.

Plan your outfits and keep your jewelry secure, all in one.

Don’t have a pill organizer, or don’t have the room for one? You can still keep your small jewelry items safe. All you need is an empty mint tin—plus a few cotton balls to cushion them during travel.

Cotton balls make easy, affordable DIY jewelry padding.

Another creative solution to avoid tangled jewelry is probably sitting in your kitchen right now. Plastic wrap keeps even your most troublesome pieces from getting tangled up by “sealing” it in place and separated.

Your best bet for this technique is plastic “press and seal” style wrap, rather than more traditional cling film, but regular cling film will work too. Just follow these easy steps:

Just lay out your jewelry and press it between two layers of plastic wrap.

Travel and packing can be a hassle, but traveling with jewelry doesn’t have to be! With these easy tips and a few household items, you can ensure that your favorite accessories always make it to your destination intact, sparkling clean, and ready to wear.

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