Costume Jewelry Tree

Proud Artist with her Costume Jewelry Christmas Tree. Photo courtesy of Pinterest

I've been to thousands of thrift and antique shops in my day and plenty of garage sales too. I always get excited when I see a Christmas tree made from discarded costume jewelry! Naturally, I've never purchased one of these pieces, believing that I could make one myself from the drawers of old and broken costume jewelry I own! I have never made one, but that may change for next year.

Clever placement of all rhinestone costume jewelry

It seems that the construction of these junk jewelry trees was a popular craft decades ago. Ladies would save up their broken and discarded pieces of costume jewelry and then get together and pool their resources. Some of the trees are very elaborate, some are simple, but all are sparkling!

This tree is particularly elegant! Click on pic to embiggen

Here are the items you need to assemble your own piece: Jewelry tool set; pair of tweezers, strong craft glue, felt or black cotton/velvet scrap fabric, shadow box frame, junk jewelry, beads, etc. Back the velvet with cardboard so that it will fit inside your fancy frame. Place the jewelry on the velvet in a pleasing tree shape. Glue it all down. The pictures can be as large or small as you'd like! You could also punch holes in the cardboard and fabric and add tiny lights!

The more ornate the frame, the better!  Have you been saving your junk jewelry?  Get out the glue gun!