How to Store Hair Accessories

 

User-Submitted Article

Hair clips, pony tail holders, barrettes and bobby pins are the types of items that most often get lost somewhere in the house. Left on various counters, rolling around in dresser drawers and hiding in the bottom of our purses, these tiny accessories may only be used once before we lose track of them. On every trip to the store, we end up buying more hair accessories because we can't find the ones we already own. Read on for tips on how to store your hair accessories, keep them organized, dust-free and ready to use any time you want to wear them!

 

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soap and water
• Jewelry cleaner
• Towel
• Table or counter workspace
• Plastic storage carry case, or
• 3-drawer plastic tabletop container, or
• Dresser drawer dividers, or
• Decorative baskets

1.  
   Gather together all of your hair accessories. Using a gentle soap and a little water, wash off your hair clips and barrettes. The finish on many hair accessories can get dulled or ruined by hair products, especially hair spray, so it's a good idea to regularly clean any residue off. For sensitive metals and ornate jeweled pieces, use jewelry cleaner for best results. Rinse and dry each piece thoroughly with a towel.
2.  
   Separate pieces into different categories. For example, make piles of bobby pins, small barrettes, large barrettes, small clips and larger clips.
3.  
   
    
   Clip together matching pairs within these categories. There's nothing more frustrating in the morning than digging through a tangle of accessories trying to find that second barrette. Loop bobby pins together or lock the teeth of clips together. (See photo.) Now both pieces will always be found at the same time. See Tips section.
4.  
   
    
   For delicate pieces that can be easily damaged or difficult to clean if they get dusty, try to retain the original packaging they came in, or buy small clear containers to keep them in. Clear containers help you see what's inside while still protecting the contents.
5.  
   
    
   Plastic carry cases with dividers inside are a great way to store your hair accessories and keep them dust-free. Many of these cases are designed for makeup or jewelry, but they work just as well for hair clips. Buy the size that fits your collection, or buy more than 1 case to hold different pieces. In the photo you can see that the small barrettes and bobby pins fit nicely into the shallow containers on top, where they can be easily sorted through. Larger pieces fit into the deeper bottom level.
6.  
   
    
   For pieces you wear on a regular basis, like pony tail holders and neutral barrettes, you might want to consider a small container that fits right onto your bathroom counter or dressing table. The mini 3-drawer storage container pictured here can hold makeup, jewelry and hair accessories. Close the drawers when finished and everything looks neat and tidy. Plastic cases are easy to wipe clean, and they also keep your accessories free of dust.
7.  
   
    
   Another great option is to use divided drawers. You can get custom closet or dresser cabinets with divided drawers, but a less expensive option is to purchase dividers or divided trays that fit inside your existing furniture. The divided sections are a great way of keeping like items together, and the walls keep the accessories from all sliding to the front of the drawer every time you close it.
8.  
   
    
   If you don't like the look of plastic containers in your bathroom, you can also make your hair accessories part of the décor. Buy a decorative basket and load in your clips and headbands. It's easily accessible and in an attractive container. If you don't use the pieces regularly, they can get dusty, so you can opt for a decorative ceramic or wood container that has a lid.
9.  
   Make the effort to put hair accessories back in their place after you've used them, so you'll know just where to look the next time you need them. Keep the accessories easily accessible--if you have to go into a closet in the spare bedroom to get your barrettes, you'll be much less likely to return them to their proper place than if they were in a drawer in the bathroom vanity.