When you travel, you want to pack light and bring as few belongings as possible. Necklaces can be cumbersome and take up space in your bags, so many people leave them at home during their trips away from home. However, if you want to wear your jewelry while you’re traveling, it’s important to keep your necklaces organized so they won’t tangle with each other or get snagged on something else in your bag. Here are some simple ways to avoid this problem and keep your necklaces tangle-free and ready to wear when you arrive at your destination.
You’re sitting on the plane, your carry-on at your feet and your necklaces piled up in a neat little pile on your tray table. Before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination… except your necklaces are tangled up and knotted all over each other. It’s so frustrating! You know that necklace could have been put to good use tonight, but now you can’t even use it as an accessory because it looks so bad! So how do you keep necklaces from tangling while traveling?
Organize your necklaces
The best way to organize necklaces is by their type. Jewelry should be kept in a travel jewelry case, which can hold earrings, bracelets, and rings. Necklace chains should be kept separately with either the clasp at the top or the bottom of a small toiletry bag for hanging. Keeping bracelets together will help avoid tangles because they’re not large enough to wrap around other pieces of jewelry.
Nails clippers are also essential for your travel bag and should be included at the bottom or side of your toiletry bag with some cotton balls so you don’t leave nails clippings behind when you pack up at night or after showers. Lastly, pack a small bottle of contact lens solution that you can refill at your destination if necessary. For longer trips, it’s important to bring enough contact lenses or glasses to last your entire trip without having to go out and buy them on location.
Use elastic bands
In order to keep jewelry untangled and organized, use stretchy elastic bands. Secure one around each strand of necklaces so that the beads stay put without making the strands any tighter. The necklace can then be taken on its own loop.
* Tie them at each end of the necklace for maximum security.
* Stretch the elastic band before putting it around your necklace so that it fits snuggly in between every bead. You want to make sure that the elastic has enough tension so that when you remove the necklace it doesn’t fall apart.*
* Use different colors of elastic bands to help identify what type of jewelry is inside.*
* If you have a favorite necklace or bracelet, don’t wear it with other pieces. Make sure they are kept separate by using more than one size or color of elastic band.*
Use jewelry display cases
When traveling, I find it helpful to pack my jewelry in a large jewelry display case. This ensures that the pieces stay together and don’t tangle or break. They’re a bit more expensive, but if you use them for every trip then they’ll pay for themselves pretty quickly. It also saves space because you can stack two or three cases on top of each other with your smaller accessories inside them, giving you plenty of room in your luggage for clothes or souvenirs. For longer trips I usually get a hard case that fits all my earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings too so that they don’t get squished by something else in my bag. You can find them at department stores or travel supply stores like Travel Smith. And here’s another tip: before packing your suitcases, separate the items into groups (jewelry, shoes, etc.) and put each group into its own Ziploc bag. That way everything is less likely to be buried under other stuff.
Use zip ties
If you’re someone who travels with jewelry, you may be dreading the idea of using zip ties because they can look really messy and, frankly, kind of icky. But not to worry! There are a few ways to tie your jewelry without ruining it and without needing any pesky zip ties.
1) Secure the clasp on a bracelet or necklace with a hair tie. This is an easy way to carry something that needs constant tightening up and is one of my favorite travel methods.
2) Wrap an elastic band around two beads in such a way that there’s enough room for two loops and then wrap around your wrist. You’ll have a stylish piece of arm candy to match any outfit and still have access to your bracelets when you need them. 3) Take off one bead at a time and use it as its own little charm, attaching it onto another piece of jewelry like earrings or another necklace so that nothing gets tangled.
Create a necklace label
#1 Identify how many of your necklaces are different lengths and choose a ribbon color that is long enough for the shortest necklace. You can use the same color if all of your necklaces are the same length, but this won’t work if they’re not.
#2 Cut two pieces of fabric (fabric will help repel moisture) and fold them in half with wrong sides together.
#3 Cut along one edge of one piece. Pin one loop around the ribbons from your longest necklace and then sew it closed. Repeat on other side of garment.
#4 Thread your shorter ribbons through the loops on each end and pin down both ends inside so that you have a place to store them when you’re not wearing them. To take them off, pull one end up and slide it out of the loop at the top.
Conclusion
Tucking your necklace into a button-down shirt can reduce the likelihood of it getting tangled. Baguettes can be placed in a roll of toilet paper or wrapped in tissue paper to reduce the chance of them slipping out. Bring a small jewelry travel bag and pack your necklace with the clasp on the side so it doesn’t tangle or come undone when you pull it out. To avoid any jewelry-related worries, just leave it at home! If you have sensitive skin, some types of earrings (especially heavy hoop earrings) may cause irritation. opt for clip-on earrings instead if this is an issue for you. If allergies are a concern, check with your doctor about what materials will work best for you before investing in new pieces. In addition to reading reviews online, ask friends who have recently purchased a similar piece if they like it and what their experiences were like after wearing it for a while. Keep these tips in mind as the holiday season approaches!
