Know where to find all your elastics, clips, and headbands when you need them with these quick and simple hair accessory organization ideas and storage tips!

It’s 8:05 a.m. and as usual, my little girl – a feisty six-year-old – is running late for school.
Instead of brushing her teeth and putting her lunchbox in her backpack while I’m upstairs getting ready for work, she’s plopped down on the couch to watch TV.
After a bit of yelling and threats of no TV in the evening, she gets herself together and is halfway out the door when…
“MOMMY!!! I forgot that I want a braid today! Can you pleeeeeaaaaase do a braid for me? With the elastic with the little cupcake on it?”
Cue the swearing under the breath (mine, natch).
Because guess what? Despite all my organization efforts, I couldn’t find that flippin’ cupcake ponytail holder to save my life (or my morning schedule).
So, when my daughter’s collection of ponytail holders, hair clips, and headbands got out of control, I found items in my stash of random containers to organize and store all her hair accessories.
Let’s start with the five ways we organize hair stuff at home, then I’ll share five more ways that would work great, too.
Hair Accessory Organization Ideas That Are Quick and Easy
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I’m all about finding ways to organize my home for free by repurposing items I already have.
Ready to take control of all those hair accessories around the house? Here are five simple hair accessory organization ideas you can use right now to free up space on your bathroom counters.
1. Organize Hair Clips With a Memo Board
This easy memo board hack was my first attempt to organize hair clips for my little girl before her collection exploded. Luckily, I already had one in storage so this project was free for me.
To make a DIY hair clip organizer, all you need is:
- Memo board
- Command Hook
- Ribbon
Simply loop the ribbon through the mounting hook on the back of the memo board, tie it in a bow, and hang it on a wall or door with a Command Hook. Easy peasy!

2. Store Hair Brushes and More in Glass Vases
Short glass vases are great for organizing hair elastics, clips, and brushes (and a random bouncy ball!) because kids can easily see what’s inside. You can take it one step further by labeling the vases and decorating them with washi tape.

3. Re-purpose a Ring Holder for Hair Elastics
Ring holders make great storage for hair elastics! I found this one on clearance at Target a while back (it’s no longer for sale), but a similar style will work well to organize stray ponytail holders. We keep one in the kids’ bathroom and another downstairs in our family command center.

4. Use Dollar Store Baskets in Drawers
Cheap plastic baskets from the dollar store are perfect to organize hair elastics, bobby pins, and more (like nail polish!) in a bathroom drawer. Since the baskets are low-profile, they easily fit in vanity drawers.

5. Keep Brushes and Combs Tidy in a Magazine Holder
My hairbrushes and combs got lost in the big bottom drawer of my bathroom vanity before I stashed them in this plastic magazine holder from the dollar store (these are similar). It fits perfectly in the drawer, but would also work well tucked in the under-sink cabinet.

Bonus tip: I use another one of these dollar store magazine holders for hair spray, dry shampoo, and other bottles of hair stuff under the bathroom sink because it keeps the bottles organized and upright.
6. Keep your blow dryer and hair straightener tidy under the bathroom sink
This organizer hangs on a cabinet door and takes up very little storage space while keeping hair appliances organized.

How to Organize Hair Accessories – For Free!
The tips I shared here are easy and cheap for anyone. Before buying any accessory storage containers, check to see what you already have, first! Do you have any of these items you could use to store all those stray elastics, bows, and bobby pins?
Mason jars
Much like glass vases, mason jars are a simple way to gather up hair bows and hair ties.
Empty cans
Updating an empty can is a cute way to create a free accessory organizer. It would be an easy spray paint project or decorate it with washi tape.
Empty oats or wipes container
Cover an empty oat container or plastic Clorox wipes container in washi tape or wrapping paper, and your hair bands will stack up right around it. Check out this DIY tutorial to see how it’s done.
Small bowls
Decorative small bowls are perfect for collecting little items like small hair ties and bobby pins. Keep one on your nightstand to put them in at the end of the day.
Tissue Box
Cut the top off a tissue box, and even make it pretty with wrapping paper by following my tutorial, and it becomes the perfect spot to store claw clips.
Hair Accessory Organization: Storage Containers to Buy
My motto is to DIY first, buy second. That way, you can test out an organization method to see if it works for you or your kids before you make a financial commitment.
If you’re ready to purchase containers to store your hair tools and accessories, here are a few recommendations for what to buy on Amazon:
Check out these other ways to organize kids’ stuff!

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