This Plastic Straw Hack Is A Lifesaver For Packing Jewelry In Your Luggage

When you've booked yourself a glamorous holiday, you want to dress your best. Whether you're sailing in style aboard the newest luxury cruise ship or you need to glam up for a night at the casino in this tiny city that's now the most expensive place on earth.

Traveling with delicate jewellery is a challenge, however. Pulling out your favorite pieces only to discover they are tangled, broken, or, worst, lost, can be a damper on your holiday. Keeping your jewelry stowed in hanging organizers or velvet-lined boxes is one way to keep it safe. Unfortunately, baggage handlers aren't always gentle with luggage. Even the best organizers can have their bags tossed and turned, resulting in their fine gold chains getting tangled into a fiendishly tight knot.

Fortunately, there's a solution probably sitting in your kitchen right now: a drinking straw. Simply cut the straw to the right length and thread the chain through and clasp it shut. Pop it into your washbag or jewelry organizer. This protects the chain and keeps it from getting tangled. What about other jewelry pieces? Dangling chandelier earrings or delicate bracelets? There are some surprising ways to pack these with everyday items around the house.

For wrist and ankle jewelry, like bangles and bracelets, consider using a cardboard toilet roll to maintain the shape and protect them in transit. Slip them onto the roll, then put them in a Ziploc bag to keep them from shifting in transit. A bit of masking tape will keep them extra secure. If you're tight on space, you can make a jewelry roll out of a travel towel or scarf. Lay the pieces on a flat towel or scarf, then fold it up in a roll to keep each piece in place. For extra measure, secure with a rubber band or hair tie. 

Pillboxes are another multi-tasking tool, perfect for storing earring studs and rings. Emily Dixon, a Design Consultant and Gemmologist for Queensmith jewelers in London, uses this trick and goes one step extra: "For added convenience, insert your earrings into buttons. The small holes in the buttons prevent the earrings from getting lost or mismatched," she writes in a Queensmith blog post. "This organization hack can save you a lot of time when getting ready to go out."

With all these hacks, you may be tempted to buy more jewelry on your holiday as a souvenir. If you decide to wear your jewelry while traveling, the TSA has a tip for you that might make passing through airport screening much easier. There is, however, one type of fashion accessory that may be best explained to screening agents before you go through security.