'Jewelry Upcycled' book a guide on turning tossed items into treasures

Have some bubble wrap you just can't bear to toss?

How about a collection of old cassette tapes that don't play on anything you own or a piece of rose-patterned china that's too pretty to put into the trash bin?

It can all become something else, something wearable and something pretty, if you simply have "Jewelry Upcycled" to guide you.

Written by a mother-daughter team of artists, one of whom has already published "The Art of Metal Clay" and "The Art of Resin Jewelry," this book is filled with color pictures of the novelty items they've made and instructions on how to do your own.

It's actually quite intriguing, even if your personal inclination is to get rid of things that have worn out, broken or been used already for their original purpose.

Old T-shirts can be cut up and twisted into fabric roses.

A bunch of old snaps can become an unusual necklace with matching earrings along with the old baseball that's no longer good for pitching or the telephone wire hanging about.

Computer components lend themselves to becoming pins and rings.

Plastic bags can be woven into bracelets. Plastic bottles can find new life as brooches and pins.

Even expired credit cards and gift cards can be turned into today's funky accessory.

Never mind what you can do with old silver spoons and tin cans.

Bear in mind that most of the projects require either a specialized tool like chipper nippers, a solder iron, a weave wheel or a kiln, or a bit of a knack at using needle-nose pliers, resin and various glues.

Reading and studying this can open the mind to all kinds of new possibilities. It's fun just to look at the pictures.

It can also create a habit that can lead to hoarding absolutely everything!

Sharon Haddock is a professional freelance writer with 30 years experience, 17 of those at The Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com.

Email: haddoc@desnews.com