Love where you live. Sign up for our newsletter

Make Costume Jewelry Artwork Collage for your wall

by on Dec 7, 2006

  This idea comes straight out of the 1960’s.  It’s an easy and creative way to make art from your costume or junk jewelry (any outdated & cheap stuff – nothing valuable of course) – or any other small items that are appealing to you (marbles, small toys, misc. doodads found in your junk drawer?)  The examples shown here were made by my Grandmother and her sister.  When I repaired the larger tree piece, I used Omni-Stick glue, but any waterproof & metal safe glue will work. 

 

 Grandma's Jewelry Tree

I am making two more art pieces for my cousins, using my late Grandmother’s vast collection of junk jewelry and a painters canvas painted a neutral color and edged with lace.  Simply lightly trace or free-form your design onto the canvas, lay out the jewelry pieces (with any protruding backs cut off), and then begin gluing.  You’ll want to layer, or build-up, the design so it looks 3-D.

 

This Jewelry Flower Basket was made by my Aunt.  The background appears to be a thin piece of wood covered with small pebbles (like the fish tank rocks) mixed with plaster.  You can get very creative with the background – sandpaper, material, spray-on glue dusted with colored sand or glitter,  that rubber shelf liner stuff, netting, silk leaves or petals – endless possibilities.  

 

 Flower Jewelry Basket

 

Below is a close-up of the bottom of the Jewelry Tree – towards the edges of the design there is only one layer of jewelry, and it builds up to 3 or 4 layers in the middle.

 

 I hope you get some creative ideas from this easy project!

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 Comments

  1. I would love more instruction on backgrounds and glue since I will be using jewelry from my mom who passed away 4 yrs ago

  2. I love this thinking of looking for jewelry out at Goodwill, Salvation Army. Do you have any ideas where I can find jewelry inexpensive I love these trees thank you for sharing