Jewelry is essential to pull together any outfit, even while traveling. Multiple methods to pack jewelry for travel allow you to keep your items tangle-free and protected. Some DIY options use everyday household items.
While traveling on a cruise, you shouldn’t have to compromise on what jewelry you bring. Many people leave their jewelry home out of fear of theft or damage. Aside from protecting your jewelry, the real challenges are keeping necklaces knot-free, not losing small items, and organization.
With some resourcefulness, guests can travel with their favorite pieces worry-free and store them in their safe when onboard. Each tip has its benefits, and we list things you can buy and make yourself.
In This Article…
How to Pack Jewelry for Travel
As mentioned, there are several methods you can use when traveling with jewelry. The best strategies involve keeping necklaces free from becoming tangled (because who wants to spend hours teasing out knots) and keeping small items like studs together and easily visible.
Jewelry Roll Organizers
- Advantages: Good organization, prevents necklaces from tangling, easily viewable
- Disadvantages: No locking mechanism
These organizers make traveling with jewelry easier and more convenient. They are affordable and allow you to see all your jewelry at a glance. You can place items in separate compartments for easy access. Plus, your necklaces won’t get tangled together.
A jewelry roll is ideal for packing your jewelry in a carry-on. It is compact, takes up very little space, and allows you to keep your jewelry with you, so it is never out of your possession, which is useful when you pack expensive jewelry or things with great sentimental value.
You can unroll it and hang it in your cabin, allowing you to quickly display your jewelry when you want to accessorize for a day excursion or a night on the town.
Soft rolls are perfect for keeping delicate and small items neat. They also come with protective cloths, preventing jewelry from becoming scratched. They take up less space than jewelry boxes, making them more convenient.
Jewelry Box Organizers
- Advantages: Good organization, clear, see-through window, prevents tangling, contains a lock to prevent theft
- Disadvantages: Takes up more space
A tiny jewelry box organizer may be a smart travel idea since it protects and organizes smaller items. It has room to pack earrings and rings and larger items like watches.
It also easily closes tightly using a zipper seal, so everything is held in place. Jewelry boxes can be locked, providing added protection, and come in various sizes.
Pouch Jewelry Holder
- Advantages: Lower cost, less abrasive on jewelry
- Disadvantages: Small items may roll out, no theft protection
For low-maintenance jewelry, consider investing in a soft pouch. You can do this easy DIY idea by using fabric and tying it with a rope or shoelace. You can also buy them online.
While easy to make, the downside is that necklaces can become tangled, and the backs of earrings can poke through the material. However, the next suggestion may be a viable solution for this.
Sandwich Bags
- Advantages: Necklaces won’t tangle, small items aren’t lost, reusable, can group things together
- Disadvantages: No theft protection
Many companies make sandwich or storage bags in smaller sizes. Earrings can go in a portion pack, and you can pack necklaces and larger items in sandwich bags to prevent chains from twisting.
Furthermore, if you are putting everything in a pouch, it keeps all the items separate, or you can organize them in groups. You don’t need to worry about a tiny ring or earring falling onto the floor and getting lost. Everything is kept neatly together and in one tiny bag. Plus, it is a very affordable solution.
Pill Cases
- Advantages: Good organization and can coordinate with outfits
- Disadvantages: No theft protection
Seven-day pill boxes work well for jewelry and can help you organize what you will wear each day of your trip. You can easily arrange accessories by day and plan according to your outfits.
They are strong, small, and keep everything well-organized. Some come in a zippered case, while others just have a clear plastic covering.
Easy DIY Methods
These suggestions are cheap alternatives using common, readily available household items. They are easy to make, don’t cost anything extra, and when you return home, they have other uses.
Wrap in Bubble Wrap
- Advantages: Allows for good organization and protection
- Disadvantages: May require additional space, doesn’t deter theft, can get sticky
You can find bubble wrap in most homes, but even if you don’t have any on hand, you can purchase it online, and it’s a great way to store jewelry.
To pack it, lay your bracelet, watch, or necklace flat on a bubble wrap sheet. Gently fold the edges in, then tape the edges together. When secured, roll it into another layer of bubble wrap. It may take additional space in your luggage, but the peace of mind you get knowing the jewelry is secured and protected is worth it.
Travel Towel
- Advantages: Multipurpose item, easily stores items
- Disadvantages: May lose smaller items, necklaces can tangle easier
If you don’t want to invest in jewelry organizers, you can create a jewelry roll using small travel towels. Neatly arrange your jewelry, then roll your towel. You can use multiple towels and color code them to group accessories. Then, roll the towel and tie it on each end.
You can also use the sandwich bag method to keep things separate and combine items in a towel to keep them from falling out and getting lost.
Straws
- Advantages: No knots, timesaving
- Disadvantages: No theft protection
Reusable straws are the perfect way to pack necklaces. Necklaces are challenging since they tangle easily, but you can avoid this by inserting half of your necklace into a plastic straw, which holds it in place, helping you avoid having to detangle it.
Vacuum Seal Jewelry
- Advantages: Jewelry doesn’t tangle, customizable bags, allows you to pair items
- Disadvantages: Requires taking a plastic seal with you, bags often aren’t resealable
Vacuum seals wrap your jewelry and allow you to secure smaller items. They also prevent necklaces from tangling in jewelry boxes since everything has a place.
Vacuum seals are a brilliant way to prevent necklaces from tangling since there is no wiggle room. The only downfall is that you may need to take your vacuum sealer with you on your journey to reseal the bags. Alternatively, you can use a press-and-seal plastic wrap.
Buttons
- Advantages: Works great for studs
- Disadvantages: Taking them out may cause you to lose an earring, posts can bend when traveling
Buttons are a quick way to keep earrings together. Inserting them into a button lets you keep them together, and you can combine them with other packing tips and use them with the pill case, jewelry roll, or jewelry box.
Buttons are also extremely helpful when you plan on wearing studs, and you can use them with dangling earrings if they’re not too big.
Toilet Paper Roll
- Advantages: Easily organizes jewelry
- Disadvantages: Messy if it gets wet
A paper roll makes the perfect jewelry organizer. You can put bracelets around the roll, pin earrings to each side, and insert necklaces through the top. It is an easy way to keep everything organized and together.
Only fill the roll half-full so that it doesn’t overflow. Consider putting it into a bag so that nothing accidentally falls off.
Paper Plate
- Advantages: Jewelry can be grouped
- Disadvantages: Some items either can’t be packed or packed separately, easier to lose smaller items
If you have disposable plates at home, you can easily use them to store jewelry when traveling. Simply take a plate, insert earrings in the middle, then make additional holes for necklaces.
If they are small enough, you can store bracelets on the plate by placing and sealing another plate over it. You can also put the plate and additional accessories in a giant Ziplock plastic bag or plastic organizer.
When figuring out how to pack jewelry, consider the things that are most important to you. Do you want an option that deters theft, one with good organization, or something with compartments? The answer to these questions will help you narrow your search for the perfect solution for you and your jewelry.
