Modern Uses for Vintage Jewelry

We all have boxes of jewelry inherited from family members including clip earrings, beads, old brooches, charm  bracelets and more.  While we may not be interested in wearing them as they were intended, this is certainly an option!  Layer the necklaces using two or three at a time for a new look or clip vintage earrings onto a chain for a unique pendant!  Clip vintage earrings to your shoes to decorate!  Clip vintage earrings or brooches to a metal barret to decorate your hair (I once had a young lady use brooches in this way to make a unique headpiece for her vintage style wedding!).

At Memories we receive piles and piles of great vintage jewelry that is no longer wanted and we have beautiful cases full of unique selections!  After working with the jewelry for a while, we have come up with some creative uses which may interest you.

It can certainly be taken apart and made into new and unique jewelry pieces if you have a knack for designing jewelry.  We have just such a customer who comes in from time to time looking for some unique find to add to his custom jewelry which he sells all over the country!  Various beads and pieces can be glued to wooden box tops, lamp shades, purses, picture frames and mirrors for a new and romantic look.

I have another customer who purchases large unique brooches and mounts them on velvet or some other elegant fabric and frames them and has them arranged in her bedroom.  She can then just unpin them and wear them as she desires.  Another way to use colorful brooches and clip earrings (with the clips removed) is to glue them to a background in the shape of a Christmas tree, frame and enjoy during the Christmas season.  Another customer has covered a dress form with elegant fabric and covered it with vintage jewelry for her dressing room - so elegant - and the jewelry can still be taken off and worn when desired. 

I went to the home of a customer one time and she had pretty rhinestone and angel pins placed all over her bathroom lace curtains!  Also, they can be used to decorate tie-backs for your drapes, hung from chandeliers, placed in your Christmas tree, pinned onto a scarf to hold it in place - so many uses other than the traditional and a wonderful way to treasure family keepsakes!

My Mother makes the most beautiful Christmas ball ornaments decorated with jewelry from our family or other jewelry she finds and beautiful tassels and trims to accessorize.  She has made 100's of these and each one is unique and a keepsake to hand down over the years.

So if you have that vintage jewelry collection from Gramma, be sure and don't just get rid of it - use one of these great ideas to put them to use.  Or bring them to Memories, and we will sell them for you to someone who is designing some new jewelry!  What's Old can be New Again!  And besides, recycling is the "in" thing these days!