How To Organize with Stocking Boxes
Recently Julie of V is for Victory Rolls was lamenting on Instagram about the difficulty of organizing many of her vintage accessories, and asked fellow vintage loving Instagram’ers to share their organizational tips. What is funny is that I had been thinking of doing a blog post on this very subject actually! I organize using a lot of different things, but today I’m going to highlight one of my favorite, and most used, things that I use to organize with: stocking boxes!
Stocking boxes are divided rectangular, often quilted, boxes. They were originally intended for women to store in their dressers with their stockings rolled up in them to keep the stockings from getting snagged. But they can be used for so much more!
One place you can find stocking boxes in our home is in our bathroom.
I use these for my hair scarves and other hair accessories. My scarves roll up nicely and tuck into the divided sections, and most of my hair flowers fit in just fine too. I like having all of my hair goodies in one place, so these are stored in the same cupboard as my hairspray, hair dryer, combs, etc.
Another way I use stocking boxes is to help organize my some of my jewelry.
These stocking boxes fit perfectly inside my vanity drawers. I have deep vanity drawers, so I stack the boxes two deep. I won’t lie, I have a lot of jewelry. And this isn’t how all of it is stored. I also store jewelry in a large, vintage, velvet lined jewelry box, bracelets hang on three T-stands, those spiral earrings racks, and I also utilize a vintage train case.
Although not pictured, I also use stocking boxes in our larger dresser to store some of my belts and belt buckles.
And then of course you’ll also find stocking boxes being used for what they were intended for…stockings!
I’ve snagged most of my stocking boxes at antique malls here and there, and they typically run $5-$12 each. But you can also find them on Ebay and Etsy.
Do you use stocking boxes? If so, what for? Is there anything you have a hard time organizing?
Leave a Comment!
Having trouble commenting? Contact me
Great post! I use mine to store my bakelite bracelets. It makes it really easy to pull out the ones I want to wear that day without having to slide a bunch off a bracelet stand just to get to the one I want.
There’s totally about to be an Etsy run on stocking boxes now.
Oh, this is a really good idea! I shall have to keep an eye out for some 😀 They’d be great for bracelets, as Emily said. I’ve been looking for a way to store accessories, as well, that can be put away instead of on display getting dusty.
And I suppose you could always make your own, or something similar, if you couldn’t find any you could afford and had spare fabric & small boxes lying around?
Thanks for the great post 🙂
This wonderful post instantly made me smile – big time – because I too have been using quilted stocking boxes to store some of my vintage accessories for years now. The number one thing I still store in them is my vintage bangle bracelet collection. I also use modern divvied fabric sock/underwear boxes, which are similar in terms of the general concept, to store my gloves, scarves, and belts.
♥ Jessica
What a great idea! I had never heard of stocking boxes before.. My sock/stocking drawer is a total mess so I could really use a few. I love how pretty they look too with the colours and fancy quilting 🙂
I have several in and on my vanity that I use to organise cosmetics. Another holds part of my vintage compact collection.
Oh, lovely! I have been meaning to get some stocking boxes since another blogger mentioned them a while ago, but the ones I’ve seen are always on the higher end of that price range… I can think of a few things that might want to live in them, but I think I’d have to fill a few up with stockings and tights, first!
Note – I had better luck on Etsy when searching under “hosiery box” than stocking box. I use mine for my Bakelite bangles! A stunningly ordinary collection, but I love them and treat them like princesses.
GURL. These are the type of posts I need more of. I have never heard of stocking boxes and my stockings are a goddamn mess. Thank you!
You really have a nice collection of them!
this is the first time i hear about stocking boxes … i went to ebay right away to check them out – but no, no stocking boxes in germany!
your collection of boxes is wonderful …
Wow, this is so dumb, but I didn’t realize those were stocking boxes! I see them at flea markets, but I never realized the difference between these and glove boxes! My stockings need major help with organization, so I’ll keep my eye out for some of these!