How To Store and Display Unique Purses: The Ultimate Guide

Whether you’re new to statement bags, or already have an unruly collection sprawling across your floor, it’s important to find a way to properly store and display your unique purses. After all, you want to be able to show them off in their splendour AND ensure they are long-lasting. 

And that’s what I’m here to help with today. 

As the founder of Wicker Darling (an Australian company known for very unique purses, indeed) I have amassed quite a large personal collection. Learning how to wrangle all my own bags into order took some trial and error, but I can now confidently say I am a pro at displaying unique purses and bags. 

So, if you’re hoping to give your statement purses some time in the spotlight, and learn some creative ways to store your unique accessories - read on!

In this post, I’ll be sharing all my favourite ways to display a statement bag collection, as well as tips for ensuring the health and longevity of your much-beloved accessories. 

10 fun ideas for storing unique purses

If you are a crazy wicker bag lady like me, then it's high-time to put together the proper purse display. When you collect unique purses, it’s important to know how to store purses and bags so that you can DISPLAY them.

After all, unique handbags are meant to be seen, even if you don’t display them all at once.

But how should you display them? And how should you keep them safe during storage?

Here are my top tips for how to store purses and bags with personality. 

1. Turn a bookcase into a purse shelf

One of my absolute favourite ways to display unique purses is with a bookcase. You can put this bookcase in your bedroom, living room, or even your kitchen! (Just not too close to the stove, please.) 

I personally like bookshelves because they give you so much space to work with - and they allow me to keep all my wicker animals’ feet on the ground. 

If your collection isn’t yet large enough to fill a whole bookcase, you can fill the extra space with all the usual suspects - books, plants, decorations, travel memories - you name it! 

You can line your bags up any way you’d like, and use clear plastic dividers to organise them as needed. You can display each unique purse in its own section, or put smaller purses like clutches and mini coin purses together. 

Additionally, you could opt for a cubby-style bookcase, which will have all your dividers pre built in!

A bookshelf or bookcase is very easy to customise into your perfect purse display. But how should you organise said purses? Well…there are multiple ways! 

2. Sort your bags by type

One of the easiest ways to organise your purses is by size/type. You can keep coin purses and bag charms together, clutch purses together, regular sized handbags in one place, and giant shopping totes in another. 

This will help you pick exactly the type of accessory you need for your outing - because all of one type will be in the same place. 

Of course, when it comes to Wicker Darling bags, the type of purse often refers to what animal family it is in! For instance, you might like to group your collection into bird purses, dinosaur purses, and cat purses. 

You do you! 

3. Sort your bags by colour 

Another very visually pleasing way to display your unique accessories is by colour. You can choose to do this any way you’d like, but a rainbow is always a crowd favourite. Start with pink, then red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and purple.

For neutrals, I find that tan, to brown, to black, to grey, to white has a nice flow.

But this will be a very personal choice.

No matter what order you put your colourful accessories in, they are bound to look beautiful - and you will never again have an issue finding the right colour purse for your outfit. The selection will be obvious!

4. Display your bags in a glass-front armoire

If you want to display your unique purses and bags in a luxe and no-fuss setup, you might prefer a glass-front armoire or cabinet. This will look exquisite in any room in your home, and will keep your bags protected from dust, pets, and other unsavoury situations while on display. 

5. Use an overhead shelf

If you don’t have room in your living space for a full bookcase or armoire, perhaps you can make use of some of the vertical space. You can ring your room with shelves right below the ceiling line, so that your purses are right on display - but out of the way of your furniture. 

You may need to keep a step stool handy if this is the way you choose to display your purses! 

6. Add hooks to unlikely places

Deciding how to store purses and bags can be tons of fun. While I don’t recommend hanging my full-size wicker purses, smaller purses on chains can be hung without concern. You can add hooks to your entryway, on a statement wall by your dining table, above the TV, on the backs of doors, you name it! 

This will give you all sorts of fun options for displaying your crossbody bags and clutches. 

7. Repurpose a coat rack

Another option for hanging purses is a coat rack! There are plenty of unusual and vintage coat racks out there that would be simply delightful for displaying your quirky purse collection. 

You can give each purse its own hook, or hang multiple purses of similar types on the same hook. This will provide a fun visual presentation for your accessories, and make it easy to snatch up on your way out the door! 

8. Swing for a shower display

Want a cute and creative way to hang your purses? Mount a shower curtain rod to your wall! Then, you can hang your totes and clutches off the curtain rings. This way, your display system can be just as quirky as your purses.

9. Use over-the-door baskets

Another creative use of storage space is an over-the-door storage system. For displaying unique purses, I recommend one with wire baskets that allow you to view exactly what’s inside. While traditionally used for pantry storage, this system will work equally well for your purses. 

10. Rotate bags by season

If you simply don't have enough space to display your whole collection, then maybe displaying different bags seasonally is the right idea.

For example, you could do a display of cute summer purses, or some spooky purses to get ready for Halloween. 

Then, you can keep the rest of your collection safely in storage. 

Speaking of which, let’s discuss how to keep those purses safe!

How can I protect my purses during storage?

No matter which way you choose to display or store your unique purses, it’s important to keep them safe and happy. After all, if you love them enough to collect them, I assume you want to KEEP them! 

Wicker Darling purses are meant to be cherished family heirlooms, but this is only possible if you know how to care for wicker baskets and bags properly. So here are my top tips for safely storing your purses - wicker or otherwise.  

Avoid direct sunlight

When choosing a place to store your unique purses and bags, make sure it is an area away from direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause your beloved accessories to fade unevenly, and can even make your bags more brittle and prone to damage. 

Keep away from moisture

You will also want to keep your bags away from moisture, which means storing them in the bathroom is a big NO. If your bags soak up moisture in a room, they can mould and rot - which would be absolutely ruinous to your collection. 

If you need to, invest in a dehumidifier! It will be cheaper than replacing your entire collection of accessories. 

Choose a cool location

It’s important to ensure that the area you choose to display or store your unique purses is not too hot, not too cold, not too sunny, and not too wet. So long as you are able to accomplish this, your bags should be quite content in their new home. 

I recommend a cool area with air conditioning or plenty of air flow.

Dust regularly

If you keep your unique purses on display, they will need a good wipe down now and then. This is much easier to do with leather and fabric accessories than wicker ones. 

To pick up any dust that may have snuck into the nooks and crannies of your handbags, you can use a vacuum cleaner on low power. You should attach an upholstery nozzle while doing this, or put some nylon pantyhose over your vacuum to ensure your bags don’t get damaged. 

I recommend vacuuming and dusting your purses at least once a month. 

Use fabric dust bags

Perhaps you will choose to rotate your bags seasonally or with a shift of your mood, and this is more than acceptable. If you aren’t displaying all your purses at one time, you can keep the rest in dust bags to protect them.

These dust bags absolutely cannot be made of plastic. Plastic bags have zero breathability, and will allow humidity to build up with temperature fluctuations. This will result in, you guessed it, MOULD. 

To prevent this from happening, use breathable fabric bags instead like the pretty pink dust bags that come with your Wicker Darling purchase. 

Be mindful of surroundings 

Mould and sunlight aren't the only enemies of a beautiful purse collection. When placing your unique purses in their permanent home, make sure there aren’t any heavy items nearby that could fall and crush your accessories.

Nothing can save your poor wicker animals after such a fate!!!  

Hang purses with care 

In general, I don’t recommend hanging your purses. Some smaller, lighter purses will hold up just fun when hung - especially if they have chain straps. 

But for heavier purses, prolonged hanging can warp or damage the straps over time. For my wicker menagerie, for example, I choose to let them stand on their own two (or four) feet, so as not to tax the leather handles. 

Use light-weight inserts 

To help your purses maintain their shape, it’s a good idea to stuff them with inserts. This will, in theory, prevent them from drooping or creasing.

You can use tissue paper, bubble wrap, a folded towel, or special pillow inserts - just nothing too heavy, or it can have the opposite effect!

Keep away from pets

Just because my wicker purses are adorably animal-shaped, that doesn’t mean they get along well with animals. Sure, pets are often interested in animal-shaped bags…but sometimes, TOO interested. 

No one wants their unique purses to turn into their pet’s new chew toy or scratching post. Nor do they want their collection covered in fur.

As such, I find it best to display unique purses out of the reach of pets when possible. 

Invest in purse protectants 

For the ultimate purse protection, perhaps you’d like to purchase some barrier sprays of sorts? For example, Scotchgard has a wonderful line of protective sprays that covers wicker, fabric, and leather alike.

Keep on collecting those unique purses!

Now that you have the perfect storage system, and know how to take care of your collection, it’s time to keep adding to it! Wicker Darling purses make the ULTIMATE new addition to any collection of unique purses and bags.

Each purse is full of limited-edition, hand-made, made-to-order, slow fashion, and adorable GOODNESS.

Come see for yourself.