Bring on the Bling

     The coral necklace you bought in Hawaii is tangled with the locket your high school sweetheart gave you, and the Mardi Gras beads you kept after the party last year have broken and scattered in your dresser drawer.  You want to wear your favorite pearls, but they've disappeared underneath several stray chains in your jewelry box, and the matching earrings are nowhere to be found.  There's got to be a better way!  The question is, why do you hide the baubles you love so much away?  If displayed well, your jewelry can be just as pretty (and organized) as when you actually wear it.  Here are some ideas for bringing out your bling.
     First, it's time to tackle the tangle.  Place all of your jewelry on a table and take your time unraveling and sorting the pieces.  Discard anything that you don't wear or that doesn't hold sentimental value.  Make sure your earrings match and all have their backs, and repair any damaged pieces.  Now you're ready to get creative.
     Take a look around for potential jewelry holders.  Here are a number of of non-traditional items for display.  Choose a look that will enhance the style of your bedroom and will be easily accessible when you dress.

• Lean a vintage ladder with small, round rungs against a wall and hang your necklaces and/or scarves over the rungs.  Make sure the wood has been sanded and varnished for a smooth finish that won't catch chain or fabric.
  
• Staple chicken wire or screen onto the back of an ornate frame.  You can hang necklaces and bracelets from the wire or attach earrings and pins to the screen, then hang the piece on the wall.  An empty window frame or antique dresser mirror without the glass could work as frames as well.
  
• Drape necklaces around the necks of porcelain dolls. Set the dolls on your dressers and nightstands.
• Lean vintage mattress springs against a wall, or attach them to the wall making sure you screw into studs to hold the weight.  Hang the jewelry directly onto the springs or use S hooks for easy removal.
  
• Use pretty glass bowls or cups to sort bracelets, rings, and earrings, and drape necklaces over the sides for a cascading effect.
  
• Mount small curtain rods to both sides of your window and hang necklaces from the rods.  Sunshine will catch glass beads and gems and make a lovely, sparkly display.  If you have double hung windows, you could also attach small, glass knobs to the top of the window frame and hang necklaces from them.
  
• Stand a vintage mannequin in a corner and hang your necklaces or scarves on her.
  
• Use a coat rack for necklaces.  Racks can be hung in the closet, on a wall, or on the back of a door.  You could take this idea to the next level and attach decorative knobs to the bottom of an antique mirror.  Not only will this piece display your jewelry nicely on a wall, but you can use the mirror to check the jewelry once you put it on.
  
   
• Rings can be displayed on vintage glove makers' molds, porcelain hands used by department stores for display in the fifties, or on vintage office memo holders.  These usually have a decorative metal base and sharp metal prong that was intended to hold bits of paper.
  

     The jewelry you choose subtly reveals your taste and personality and can enhance a room just as much as it does your clothing.  Once you have your displays in place, you may find you enjoy looking at your jewelry as much as you do wearing it!