It Was A Jewelry Box Staple: Now It's A Valuable Decor Find In Thrift Stores

Flashback to dress-up days at Grandma's house: If she let you raid her jewelry box, your outfit's crowning glory was surely a string or two of her chunky, sparkly, and undeniably garish beads. Kitsch value aside, these wearables may have been worth a pretty penny. Even if they truly only have kitsch value, repurposed thrifted jewelry can make quirky, glamorous home accents. These vintage treasures can live on encircling a vase, tying back curtains, or dangling Mardi Gras-style from a chandelier. Those are just a few of the ways vintage beaded jewelry can bring a bit of sparkle to your space.

The thought of truly valuable materials used for everyday purposes might make you cringe, so it could be worth it to do a deep dive into what your thrifted find is made of. Granted, lots of jewelry on offer at second hand stores are made of glass or another low-value material. Still, you could unearth a strand of valuable stone, metal, or crystal beads, or something fun and somewhat rare like Bakelite. In those cases, you may be hesitant to use them for risky DIYs, but there are options that let you display a string of beads while keeping it protected. In the probable case that its value is merely aesthetic, beaded jewelry is a medium for all sorts of pretty decor crafts that will breathe new life into your tired home decor.

Jewelry is one of the most common items you'll find at thrift stores, and the prices are typically reasonable enough to justify experimenting with DIY projects. In all but the cases of precious gemstones and the like, strings of beads can become sun catchers, curtains, or parts of wall hangings. Many of these applications involve leaving the beads strung. An intact beaded necklace can act as a border along the edges of a wreath or picture frame. Get extra crafty by attaching a necklace to a canvas to frame other decorative elements. Form it into a circle, oval, or heart, and fill the shape with other vintage jewels like brooches or clip-on earrings. Keep with the necklace theme by filling the shape instead with concentric rows of beads or ones arranged into coils or abstract shapes.

Beads removed from their strings are more finicky to work with, but the separate pieces open up lots of possibilities. Assemble mosaic wall art made entirely of beads, or affix beads as 3D enhancements on existing paintings or photos. (This can work with beads on strings, as well.) Restring a mixture of beads into eye-catching patterns to use on any of the string-bead crafts, too. Items that are too beautiful or valuable to subject to a hot glue gun can get the attention they deserve by being displayed under glass in a frame or shadow box.