Jewelry boxes are an item many of us have sitting unused in a drawer or storage space. Whether a cherished family heirloom or gift from years past, these containers inevitably end up retiring from their original purpose of storing jewelry and trinkets. However, instead of letting these boxes collect dust, there are countless creative ways to give them new life through repurposing.
In this blog post, I will highlight 11 smart reuse ideas for old jewelry boxes that showcase their versatility. From organizational solutions for craft supplies and office items to unexpected home décor, these options help keep practical items out of landfills by giving them new functions.
1) Organizing Office Supplies:
Old jewelry boxes make wonderful organizers for small office supplies like paper clips, staples, thumbtacks, rubber bands, and more. Their tiny drawers are perfectly sized for separating different items. Place the box in a convenient spot on your desk to tame the disorganization of loose supplies. Compartments help you find what you need quickly without rummaging through a jumbled mess.
RePurpose the box by labeling each drawer with its contents using a thin permanent marker. Now stationery and desk accessories have a dedicated home, keeping your work space neatly organized. The box’s small size also means it doesn’t take up much precious desk real estate.
2) Holding Coins and Buttons:
Jewelry boxes are great for corralling loose coins and assorted buttons. Their drawers provide separated sections to keep different coin denominations or button types neatly separated. To use an old jewelry box for this, consider placing coins in one drawer and buttons in another. You can also sort buttons by size, color or style among multiple drawers.
This prevents them from getting lost at the bottom of a junk drawer. Having a designated coin and button box makes it easy to find these small items when needed. It’s a handy way to reuse a jewelry box while bringing order to what can be a disorganized mess.
3) Storing Craft Supplies:
The tiny drawers of an old jewelry box make it perfect for storing various craft supplies like beads, sequins, feathers, ribbons, twine, and more. Separate different items into their own drawers to keep craft components easy to browse.
Add craft labels to drawer pulls or fronts to clearly convey the contents of each section. This small organizational system keeps assorted DIY materials neatly separated and simple to access for all kinds of crafting projects. Whether you dabble in knitting, jewelry making, scrapbooking or card creating, a jewelry box maintains order amongst the odds and ends. It’s also easy to pack up and stow craft supplies away neatly when projects are complete.
4) Holding Bathroom Tchotchkes:
Give a jewelry box new life by using it to hold small bathroom accessories and décor items. Separate drawers make it easy to organize things like cotton balls, Q-tips, hair ties, bobby pins, tweezers, and more.
You can also use sections to hold decorative soaps, lotions, or potpourri. Keeping these items corralled in a jewelry box prevents them from rolling around the countertop and falling behind the sink. Place the repurposed box in the bathroom for an attractive way to tame what can be a cluttered area.
Drawers allow easy access to items while keeping them better organized than a crowded catchall tray.
5) Storing Makeup and Beauty Supplies:
The compact size and multiple drawers of a jewelry box make it the perfect on-the-go organizer for cosmetics and beauty products. Use different sections to neatly separate items like eyeshadows, lipsticks, nail polish, hair accessories, cotton balls, and pads. This keeps traveling makeup supplies better organized than just tossing them loosely into a bag. The drawers also protect more delicate items from breaking during transport. Take the jewelry box along when getting ready on the go or during overnight trips. Its portability allows you to keep cosmetics neatly organized no matter where you need to apply your face.
Best of all, no pricey makeup bags are required—just repurpose an item you already have.
6) Arranging Jewelry:
Of course, a classic and sensible reuse for an old jewelry box is displaying and arranging favorite jewelry pieces. Use its drawers, compartments, and tray to stash necklaces, bracelets, rings, and more. Slot necklaces in place in open drawer layouts or line rings up on fabric-lined surfaces. Keep related pieces together by type (e.g., silver necklaces in one section and gold bracelets in another). This organized presentation prevents tangles and makes it easy to select from your collection.
You can also install small mirrors on the inside of the lid for a unique jewelry-viewing experience. Place the box on a shelf or dresser for a neatly curated display, keeping pieces stored safely and wrinkle-free until your next outfit.
7) Organizing Ephemera:
Give creatively repurposed ephemera like tickets, postcards and photographs a dedicated home using an old jewelry box.
Separate drawers allow you to categorize items in fun ways—sports tickets in one drawer and concert stubs in another.
You might also sort photographs by year or event using different sections. Line drawers with acid-free paper to protect more delicate items and extend their lifespan. Add handwritten labels to drawers for an organized, almost scrapbook-like presentation. Keep the meaningful memorabilia you’ve collected neatly stowed away for years of enjoyment and reminiscing. Display open on a shelf for a nostalgic look back at treasured experiences and moments in time.
8) Storing Sentimental Trinkets:
Drawers make a jewelry box great for safely keeping small sentimental items like pressed flowers, funeral cards, heirloom buttons, and beloved trinkets from loved ones who have passed.
Use different sections to arrange mementos by type or person. This gives special remembrances an organized home where they won’t get lost or damaged. Place the box on a mantle, bookshelf or nightstand to enjoy looking back through fond memories whenever you like. Securing sentimental treasures in a jewelry box memorializes them in a thoughtful way.
9) Holding Hardware and Small Tools:
Repurpose a jewelry box into a portable toolkit by stocking its drawers with various nuts, bolts, nails, tacks, and screws. Separate fasteners by size in different sections to keep them from getting jumbled together.
You can also stash wire cutters, needle nose pliers, a small hammer, and other tiny household tools in drawers. Ideal for DIY projects around the house, this reimagined jewelry box makes transporting hardware supplies and tools to your workspace neat and simple.
Everything stays corralled even when on the go, preventing loss. And you gain storage for items that might otherwise clutter draws or spill from plastic bags.
10) Keeping Important Documents:
Use a jewelry box as an on-the-go file case for important documents. Fold up tax forms, insurance cards, passport pages, receipts, warrants and other small papers and slot them upright in drawers for a tabbed filing system right at your fingertips. Separate documents by category—taxes in one drawer and medical in another—to stay organized. Grab the portable document “file cabinet” when meeting with financial planners or heading to the DMV. It prevents papers from getting mixed up in a messy bag and allows quick access to necessary details. This reuse keeps sensitive info as safe and secure as it would be stored in an at-home file cabinet.
11) Creating a Wall Succulent Garden:
Get creative by repurposing an open jewelry box as the planter for an indoor wall garden. Add a layer of succulent potting soil or moss to its tray and shallow compartments. Select small succulents, air plants, or mini cacti that will fit the box’s nooks. With their gorgeous foliage and lack of upkeep needs, these plants are perfect for showing off in an unexpected planter.
Place your new living wall art display in a sunny spot, and water sparingly. Enjoy this pretty way to breathe life into an unused jewelry box and add warmth and greenery to your space without taking up much room. The open container design allows plants a perfect growing area while still allowing appreciation of their forms.
Summary:
In summary, old jewelry boxes can find new life in many versatile ways beyond their original storage purpose. From organizing craft supplies to holding valuables, these options highlight how creativity and repurposing can keep useful items out of landfills. With a little imagination, readers may discover even more innovative ways to give their retired jewelry boxes a second act.
So say goodbye to clutter and say hello to the organization by repurposing in these tried and true smart ways.