How many times have you spent half an hour — or more — trying to figure out where you stashed your favorite piece of jewelry? If you’re like many women, you’ve crammed bags, jewelry boxes and assorted containers with your precious items, some of which have become knotted up in the process.

Fortunately, with just a bit of effort and a little money, you can arrange your earrings, bracelets, pins and necklaces so they’re always at the ready.
Start by figuring out just how much you really need to keep. Pull your jewelry out and take a hard look: What can you get rid of? If you own three pairs of silver hoops, maybe it’s time to take the ones you never wear and donate them to a local thrift shop for someone else to enjoy. If you don’t like a ring enough to replace the missing stone, consider tossing it. Before putting the keepers away, clean and polish all of your stuff.

Plan to store everyday things in a convenient place: If you always do your makeup by your dresser, put the jewelry you would wear to work in that area, too. Feel free to keep your heirlooms and once-in-a-while items in an area you don’t have access to on a daily basis.

Here are more tips for storing your baubles:

Look for jewelry organizers with compartments that let you group similar pieces together. If you have a huge stash of jewelry, convert a shallow dresser drawer into an oversize jewelry box with trays and drawer dividers.

Put dangling earrings, which often get tangled, in an earring tree or a box specifically designed for earrings. For a more creative solution, tack a ribbon or scarf horizontally on your wall and hang your earrings from it.

For easy-access storage, mount a tie rack or a row of small cup hooks in a convenient location and hang your necklaces. They’ll never get tangled — and it will be easy to see your accessory options. (Chain bracelets can also hang from hooks to prevent tangling.)