How do you store your scarves? What works for you - and what doesn't? (If you'd like to share tips on storing your scarves, please email us and we'll include your ideas here.)

Here's a few ideas to get you started.

SCARF HANGERS

Plastic or Wooden Scarf Hanger

These hangers have holes that hold your scarves. Most polyester-chiffon scarves can handle this kind of treatment without wrinkling noticeably (saving you from ironing your scarf every morning). I like these hangers because they prevent the fold lines that result from storing scarves in a drawer, and because they keep my lightweight scarves visible.

I tried the plastic kind, but found that the scarves hung in the middle of the hanger weren't easily visible, and that, with 40" scarves, I could hang only half as many scarves on the hanger as there were holes - too many scarves made it difficult for me to find the scarf I wanted because they overlap horizontally and vertically. This is still a very good option for someone with limited closet space, as long as she doesn't mind hunting through a large mass of scarves.

There's also the wooden variety, which typically have only 10 holes for scarves. They're as expensive or more expensive than the plastic 30-hole kind, and most women will probably need more than one. But if you are hanging only 15 scarves on the plastic kind, the prices come closer to equaling out. And, the horizontal design makes it much easier to find your scarves than with the plastic multiple-hole hanger since the scarves don't overlap.

If you buy one of the wooden ones, it would be a good idea to use a fine grit sandpaper on the inside of the holes to make sure it's perfectly smooth. The one I bought was pretty smooth, but I sanded it just to make absolutely sure it wouldn't snag my scarves. Then I put a little wood oil on the sanded surface (you can also use baby oil), wiped it off to remove the excess oil, and let it sit for a few hours so that the wood would absorb the oil fully and not redeposit it on my scarves. (Use only a LITTLE oil, or it won't be able to absorb!) Of course, sanding removes the finish on the inner surface of the holes, but the light wood hanger turned out fine. I don't know if darker wood would also be fine or if it would show the effects of the sanding.

Swinging Bar Pants Hanger

This hanger is designed to hold pants on several vertical bars. The bars, except the bottom one, swing out to provide easy access to the contents. I use one like this for my wrap scarves and for my cotton hijabs, which don't squish easily and thus won't fit on a traditional scarf hanger with holes. I like the ones with rubber on the bars so that the scarves can't slip off the metal surface. I find I can put up to three wrap scarves on each bar before it becomes too cluttered. This hanger keeps my wrap scarves visible and minimizes wrinkles and fold lines (though they have to be folded a little to fit on the hanger). It's a bit clunky in a small, crowded closet, but not impossible.

Regular Hangers

Some women use regular plastic or metal hangers for their hijabs. Scarves can be folded and draped across the bar, or square scarves can be left pinned and hung over the hanger (slip on-slip off). This would prevent wrinkles, and makes getting dressed quick since you don't have to fold and pin your hijab, but it takes up a lot of closet space if you have many scarves.