How to Recycle Old Jewelry

Do you have costume jewelry you no longer wear? Here’s how to turn it into one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces and home decor. Do you have jewelry in your jewelry box that you no longer wear? Before discarding them, why not recycle them into new jewelry pieces or home décor items? Even your old costume jewelry can take on new life with a few creative strategies. 

Here are some ideas:

Recycle old jewelry: Remake it.

If you have necklaces with beads that are no longer stylish, consider restringing them and adding some updated beads or a unique pendant to add contemporary style. Head down to your local bead store with your old necklaces and choose some beads and metal accents that might work with the beads you already have. Look for handmade lamp work beads or dramatic pendants to serve as centerpieces for your necklaces. If you don’t have the skills to make your own necklace, you can always take a class or have the bead store do the work for you.

Recycle old jewelry: Use old jewelry in unique ways.

Do you have old clip-on earrings you no longer wear? Try clipping them on to a pair of plain pumps where they can serve double duty as shoe clips. They can add a touch of style to an ordinary pair of shoes for a special evening function. If you have a chain necklace that no longer feels good around your neck, wrap it around your wrist several times and wear it as a multistrand bracelet. You can also attach a clip-on earring to the band of a hat to give it a dressy look. Another way to recycle an old clip-on earring is to remove the clip from the back using metal cutters. Once you have a flat base, glue it to a metal cuff bracelet for an interesting, one-of-a-kind wrist enhancer. You can also glue an old clip-on earring with the clip removed to a ring blank to create a stylish cocktail ring. Try making artsy collage pins out of old earrings. Simply purchase around metal disc and a glue-on pin back finding. Glue the old earrings in an interesting arrangement on the metal disc and attach the pin back. You now have a unique brooch that’s you can wear with a dress or a jacket.

Recycle old jewelry: Shorten or lengthen a necklace 

You can give a long necklace a whole new look by turning it into an instant choker. To do this, buy a metal ring that snaps closed from your local office supply store. These are the same rings used in three ring binder notebooks. Put one both ends of the necklace into the ring, place it around your neck and snap it shut. Depending on the length of the original necklace, you’ve now shortened it and given it a whole new look. You can also restring a necklace and make it longer by adding bead or chain from your local bead or craft store. 

Recycle old jewelry: Use jewelry as home décor.