I remember as a child playing with a jewelry box that had an assortment of clip-on earrings and matching necklaces. It was fun dressing up, even though the clip-on earrings were painful! Maybe that's why I didn't get my ears pierced till I was almost 30.

I love bling, but still feel like I'm playing dress-up when I put it on, so I opt for a more subtle look and don't have all that much. If you're among those who have a collection of fine, costume, and/or sentimental jewelry, you might sometimes find it difficult to access your accessories.

Of course if you have a fine cigar, I mean, jewelry box like the one pictured here, you're probably fine. (I made it for my mom in the 60s; it looked "better" before the sprayed-gold macaroni fell off.) If you don't have one and need some up-to-date tips for organizing your jewelry check out the Timely Tips below.

TIMELY TIPS - Access Your Accessories

1. As always, the first step is to purge and sort. Remove the single earrings that have been missing their partners for the last five years and the broken items that your good intentions haven't fixed. Let go of the unloved and unused jewelry as well.

2. Sort your remaining jewelry into three categories - fine, costume, and sentimental. Consider creating a display of your sentimental pieces in a shadow box so you can enjoy seeing them. Or, designate a specific compartment in a dresser-top jewelry box for those items. That way, they don't get in the way of accessing the jewelry you regularly use.

3. Secure your fine jewelry in a safe, or keep it hidden in a hollowed out book or aDiversion Can Safe. Apparently sock drawers, the freezer, and of course, jewelry boxes are the most commonly checked by thieves.

For the rest of your jewelry, accessibility is the key!

4. The hanging pocket jewelry organizer is a favorite because it can be hung on the back of the closet door, or on the closet rod so that you can choose and retrieve your accessories while getting dressed. Bed, Bath, and Beyond has a cute one in the shape of a little black dress. One side has pockets for earrings and the other side has loops that hang necklaces and bracelets. You can find similar organizers at Home Goods and other discounted stores.

5. The velvet lined jewelry dividers keep your items from being a jumbled mess and can be stacked in dresser drawers. A thriftier version is using ice trays which can hold 14+ pairs of earrings each and are also easily stacked.

6. More re-purposing ideas: A belt/tie hanger can hang necklaces and bracelets. An accordion rack, formerly used for kitchen mugs, or a decorative towel rod with S-shaped shower curtain rings can do the same. The most unique repurposing I've seen is a metal rake (without its handle), for those of you with a more rustic motif. You can find that on Sarahndipities Blogspot.

7. DIY projects: A framed fabric-covered cork-board with decorative pushpins makes an attractive wall jewelry organizer. Even cup-hooks screwed into stained or painted wood strips can create lots of hanging space for earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Check out Pinterest for more crafty jewelry organizing ideas.

8. There are plenty of standard jewelry boxes, hangers and holders available everywhere from department to discount stores. I even saw some at Michael's this week! So grab your40% off coupon and find the perfect match for your newly sorted jewelry. Just keep in mind single layers-- the more you see, the more you'll use.

FEATURED LINKS

Tagua Fair Trade Fresno & The Haitian Bead Project

Just because I don't wear a lot of jewelry doesn't mean I don't have impeccable taste! ( : Two of my favorite jewelry sources are Tagua Fair Trade Fresno and The Haitian Bead Project (Website & FB).

Both are suppliers of beautiful handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. And both supply jewelry with a purpose! Sales from these non-profit organizations create opportunities for economically and socially marginalized producers - placing the interests of producers and their communities as the primary concern.

You can follow them and find out where they'll be selling their products next by clicking the links above.