Hardware Chic Accessories from Hardware Store Treasures

Go Shopping Tour your hardware store (the old- fashioned kind with bins and boxes of stuff is best.) Look for unusual items you can use as the base for your accessories. duct tape washers, nuts, and bolts plumbing parts metal fasteners, S-rings, key rings, hooks ball chain and other chains

inspiration to get you started on your designs

Hardware Cloth Bracelets wire hardware cloth, wire, and glass beads

Hex-Nut Necklace hex-nuts, wire, cord from Hardwear book

Washer Cuff & Connector Chain rubber strip, washers, wire various connectors from Hardwear book

Washer Necklace small washers, cord from Hardwear book

Large Washer Belt large washers, cord from Hardwear book

Link Belt (inspired by Gucci) various links, screw eyes, plastic tubing from Hardwear book

Key Chain Necklace various sizes of key chains from Hardwear book

Duct Tape Cuff duct tape or electrical tape, matching earrings from cord from Hardwear book

Anni Albers Artist Anni Albers designed jewelry from common items in the 1940s with the idea that beautiful objects did not need to be expensive

drapery rings, ribbon

ferrules, chamois strip

washers, ribbon

medium washers, ribbon

ball chain, bobbie pins

drain cover, paper clips, ball chain

corks, bobbie pins, cord

rubber hose washers, ribbon

Now go explore the hardware store!

Hardwear, Hannah Rogge; photographs by Marianne Rafter. Stewart, Tabori & Chang Publishers Anni Albers designs from Josef and Anni Albers Foundation; Hardware Cloth Bracelet from HGTV.com