Flea Market Jewelry: New Style from Old Treasures

by Binky Morgan

Thirty beautifully photographed projects promise the never-ending potential of transforming flea market finds and treasures from your own collection into exceptional works of art. Turn beaded and rhinestone belt buckles into fabulous miniature picture frames. You’ll never look at a lone earring, broken clasp, or grandmother’s old jewelry the same way again. “Could spark some serious creativity.”— Booklist.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book will give you some ideas of what to do with old jewelry - vintage or not - but don't look to it for good how-to directions or even particularly good craft. The illustrations on page 13 show an incorrectly formed loop on a head pin and an incompletely formed crimp bead! I thought most of the projects looked very amateurish and tacky. The how to instructions were very abbreviated. Better were the "Gallery Artists" work, though most of it is very dated some 17 years from publication. This is a quick thumb-through book.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the artist profiles. Projects weren't amazing.

[Victoria Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I loved vintage jewelry, and knew the various ways it could be showcased, until I read "Flea Market Jewelry: New Style from Old Treasures" by Binky Morgan. Lushly photographed, in full color, it fully introduced me to a wonderful way to connect the past with the present featuring antique baubles and bling found at the flea market. The aspect of the book that makes it so memorable is the way Martin demonstrates, with over 10 how-to projects, how versatile the jewelry can be despite its condition when you initially purchase it. From the simplest, and most charming, that only requires a "box or gift, brooch or pin and vintage scrap of fabric" ("Fabric and Brooch Wrapping") to the more complex that requires extensive jewelry making skills, Morgan inspired me to re-think the true magic of antique bijoux. Now instead of seeing that group of "vintage keys" I found in an old jewelry box as trash she showed me how they can be re-made into a "Key Collection Necklace" by attaching them to a "bead and chain necklace" with needle-nosed pliers and jump rings.
In addition to the projects and tasteful accompanying images I also loved the way she included information about "Flea Markets", "Jewelry Making", "Collectibles", and historical trivia about jewelry from the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. The portion that featured "Gallery Artists" Darcia Dudman, Jody Lyons, Rhonda Kuhlman and Chris Ake, Debra Dresler, Mary Jo Hiney, and Jo Packham and Chapelle Designers were equally illuminating and astounded me with the unique ways vintage buttons, bottle caps, "cash register money plates", and "bracelet charms" could be turned into wearable works of art.
Published in 2001, Binky Morgan has created a classic how-to book that made me appreciate the workmanship of the past while inspiring me to further explore the possibilities antique heirlooms have for the future as essential accompaniments to my daily ensembles.