My Mom Told Me to Put an Ice Cube Tray in My Bedroom, and It Was a Brilliant Idea

I’ve always adored jewelry, and over the years I’ve collected many necklaces and earrings from my travels. In fact, every time I travel to a new place I pick up a fun piece as a keepsake. While I love jewelry, I’ve always struggled to organize it properly. I used to store all my necklaces and earrings in a single pouch, but before I knew it they would tangle into a “jewelry nest” that was difficult to untangle. 

I thought that was just how it would be until, about five years ago, I discovered my mom’s brilliant jewelry storage trick — and I knew immediately I had to steal it. 

While staying at her place in India, I noticed my mom’s dressing table lined with jewelry that was neatly placed in trays with separate compartments for each item. When asked about the containers, she revealed her secret: they were actually just ice cube trays. 

Instead of using traditional bulky boxes or pouches, she uses ice cube trays (like these from Amazon) to separate pairs of earrings and dainty necklaces, which prevents them from tangling. While she keeps them on top of her dresser, it’s a modular, low-profile solution that could easily fit into shallow drawers or even a bedside table.

Back home in California, I decided to put her method to the test. I untangled my favorite pieces and placed them in silicone ice cube trays. It took some time and effort to untangle the jewelry, but once I placed the pieces in the trays the result was extraordinary. My dresser was transformed from a chaotic mess into what looked like a jewelry store!

The neat layout also resulted in a mindset shift. Now every morning when I get ready, I feel like I’m “shopping” from my own collection, which has made the process much more fun. I look forward to choosing my accessories, and I’ve even rediscovered many pairs of earrings and necklaces that I had forgotten about because they were buried at the bottom of my pouch.

While I primarily use ice cube trays to organize my accessories, you could also use this game-changing hack to organize other small household items, such as home office supplies like paperclips, staples, or pins, or bathroom knickknacks like floss, hair ties, and cotton balls.