Everything has a repurpose

I'm really getting into the whole recycling thing. Call it what you will: repurposing, reincarnating, upcycling...it all amounts to the same thing - a really fun way to make jewelry. I've become a total Goodwill and thrift store junkie. It all started with dominoes. I guess they're sort of like my gateway drug for upcycled designs.

I never realized how many different types of dominoes were out there! Once I started looking I was amazed. I found these awesome black, oversized ones that I used for vintage Halloween magnets.

Then I spotted these bamboo dominoes, which I turned into necklaces. I've made this style with both pin-up girls and butterfly images.

My next find was a set of mini travel dominoes. Those I turned into earrings. I think they are my favorite thing to make so far. They are just the right size!

After the dominoes came the scrabble tiles. I've made them with a ton of different designs: vintage ads, Japanese pictures (cats & hamsters!), flowers, and Nancy Drew, just to name a few. The thing I really like about the scrabble tiles is they are reversible. The first art fair I had these available a woman named Nancy found a Nancy Drew image on an "N" tile. She was so excited! I love to see people so happy about their jewelry, especially when I'm the one who made it.

Last but certainly not least are poker chips. I found a great set of Las Vegas poker chips at Goodwill, and I knew I had to do SOMETHING with them. Who knew they would make such great magnets?

I hope to get these all listed in my shop in the next few weeks, so be sure to check back for more designs. You can get the cupcake monster magnet here, just in time for Halloween.

Now every time I go shopping at a thrift or antique store it becomes a scavenger hunt. I'm constantly on the lookout for new (old) things to use in my creations. I would love to hear your ideas! Leave a comment below with your suggestions.