Vintage jewelry, or any jewelry you no longer wear, is often too pretty or sentimental to give away. There’s always the hope of finding an orphaned earring’s mate or finally getting around to fixing a broken clasp. But if you’ve decided that crafting with your vintage or broken jewelry is the best course of action, then maybe these ideas will inspire you.Read more ›
Upcycling Jewelry into Wine Glass Charms
August 22, 2021 · By · 5 Comments
One of my very first blog posts was making these upcycled wine charms. At the time, I had been given some vintage Cracker Jack prizes that I repurposed for the blog post. But because it had been so long since I made them, I decided to make a new set of wine glass charms. And this time I’d do so by upcycling jewelry instead.Read more ›
Braided Bracelets from Vintage Handkerchiefs
April 26, 2020 · By · 38 Comments
Making my own jewelry has been a staple in my life for about as long as I’ve had motor skills. I’ve obviously graduated from the friendship pins and bracelets of childhood. But, this project is nearly just as simple, using some vintage handkerchiefs as the main ingredient.Read more ›
Matching Best Friends Necklaces from Vintage Clip On Earrings
April 24, 2019 · By · 27 Comments
When I was growing up, lots of little girls wore those matching Best Friends necklaces. They consisted of a single heart charm that was “cracked” in half, and each girl would wear one of the halves. Fast forward a few decades to today, where I decided to reinvent the idea of best friend necklaces for adults. And to do so, I’d convert a pair of vintage clip on earrings as the matching pendants!Read more ›
Fabric Bracelets from a Vintage Sheet
March 19, 2015 · By · 39 Comments
As a general rule, bangles don’t usually fit me very well. My wrists are, quite literally, the only dainty part of my body. Which means, the average bangle bracelet just won’t stay on. I took a chance and tried on these plastic bangles from the thrift store and was blown away at how well they fit! I didn’t care much for their appearance, but I knew I could transform them into fabric bracelets that would look more my style.Read more ›
Book Necklace from Old Book Pages
February 10, 2015 · By · 38 Comments
Two facts you should know about me: (1) I love old books, and (2) I love miniature ANYTHING. My bibliophile tendencies date way back…in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a genetic affliction. And now that I think about it, my obsessions with all things dainty is just as genetic. So, why not combine these two loves into some upcycled jewelry in the form of a book necklace?Read more ›
Steampunk Necklace from a Vintage Pulley
January 8, 2015 · By · 43 Comments
When I found these vintage pulleys at an antiques store in, I knew right away they were meant to be used in jewelry making. I had a vision in my mind of a steampunk necklace, but I wasn’t sure if I could actually make it happen. Read more ›
Repurposing Old Jewelry as Ribbon Bookmarks
February 5, 2014 · By · 17 Comments
Unlike most people, I still read regular books (as opposed to the Kindle/Nook route). Hopefully I’m not the last person on Earth reading…brick and mortar(?) books. Which means, I am always in the market for bookmarks so that I don’t dog ear the pages. Anyway, I decided that turning some of broken jewelry into ribbon bookmarks would be fun to do.Read more ›
