Tips for Organizing Your Creative Space

Whether managing a business or simply expanding a private collection, it can be difficult to keep track of the numerous pieces of jewelry that add up. At Horsefeathers Jewelry & Gifts, we have been asked more than once—How do you keep track of all that stuff? Well, it’s easier than you might think.

Here’s a quick behind-the-scenes peek at our supply management process—useful for professionals, hobbyists, collectors, creators, and everyone in-between!

1.Keep like parts together.

Use jars or drawers to make sure that similar items stay together. A grouping system is a great way to cut down on clutter without having to dispose of items. For creators, this might mean separating stones by type, or compartmentalizing bands, wires, and twine. For collectors, it might simply mean keeping the kinds of jewelry in their respective spots; mixing earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets together can lead to a real mess!

2. Use clear bins and containers whenever possible. 

This is a must for anyone working with a variety of gemstones. Clear containers not only help you find your supplies without a lot of searching, but they allow you to gauge when it’s time to order more. 

3. Label everything. 

Nothing is worse than coming across an unlabeled jar, bin, or box whose contents are empty and finding yourself clueless of which supplies you’re now without. Even as a collector, labeled jewelry boxes can be enormously helpful in keeping track of your pieces, especially in the event that one goes missing.

4. Keep your most used items within arm’s reach. 

In our studio, we keep pieces that aren’t in a current design in a separate room. They are kept on display so that when we start a new collection we can easily see what’s available, but they aren't cluttering the space we're currently using. This prevents confusion and overwhelm during the creative process. Even if you’re just choosing the piece with which to complete an outfit, it’s best not to unpack too many pieces all at once, as this will increase the risk of losing or leaving one out to get damaged. Keep your favorites somewhere accessible, and use the labeling system to organize your less frequently worn, specialty pieces.

5. Use baskets for your storage.

Sometimes, you just have too much stuff to keep out. That’s fine! Whether you have bulky supplies or lots of small, irregularly used pieces, you can easily store them with baskets. Baskets are easy to carry, and unlike large plastic storage bins, they can still look great in a living space, studio, or workshop if you don’t want to put them into a storage unit or garage.

There you have it—our five-step process for keeping your jewelry and supplies organized! Pretty simple, right?

Here’s a bonus tip for our more tech-savvy creators: make sure your websites are as organized as your supplies. That’s right! We’ve updated our Horsefeathers website to make everything easier to access. Customers can shop by gemstone, zodiac sign, price, or product type using the “Shop” tab in the upper left corner. Now that’s organization put to good use!

 

You can find all our favorite organizational tools here>