Primark beads

[Kitty11]

I popped into Primark today and had a quick scan of their jewellery. I bought 2 bracelets, bought them home and cut them up for the beads. I have tons of beads for £2.50. There were 9 beaded bracelets in each one, I love a bargain

[krafty1]

Great idea Kitty11 I'm all for the idea of recycling/remaking...what someone see as one thing, somebody else sees as something completely different.

[Selina]

I regularly buy bead bracelets and necklaces from charity shops and car boots, don't want the jewellery, just the beads!! Selina

[onlyme]

Lol.... I had to laugh at this, but it's such a brill idea!

[cardelle]

I've been to local auctions and wondered why large boxes of old jewellery would have two or more bidders frantically bidding, this must be why.
What a good idea!

[beckyboo]

I've been doing this for years. I'm a regular at my local auction house,( in fact I'm waiting for my OH to do his hair so we can set off )

I buy loads of primark jewellery and sales jewellery from claires,also I scour all the local charity shops and my sisters who are scattered round the country do the same as does my SIL in America ( lol I have a real network going !)

the result I have hundreds of beads that are not in common circualtion and many are vintage , some just plain unusual

[Autumn Faerie]

Great idea, never thought of that!

[Rachel-Carlyle]

Where I live I don't get the chance to do this very often, as the choice of shops is awful. I do try though, and round some nice, sparkly, pink ones in Clarires not too long ago. Not had a chance to use them yet though.

[Lesley]

I love to do this, I do it with Fabrics as well, bags and hats made from old clothing can look fab! I work as a manager across two Oxfam shops, so keep my eye out for anything unusual! It is always worth popping into your local Oxfam (or any other charity shop!) to ask about these things, we have an inhouse recycling system, items of clothing that are not sutiable for sale get sent off to the central warehouse,sorted and sold for scrap. However, most managers would be happy to sell for a reasonable price to a local artist. We have kept broken toys and sold by the bag load to a local sculpter, buttons, beads, old books have been sold to scrapbookers and card makers, also postage stamps and old money! Charity shops offer a wealth of undiscovered treats!

[Magenta5]

This is a great idea. I've not found any nice used beads in charity shops to recycle but Scope sells new jewellery for £1 each. Think it is chain store surplus or something. I have bought some bracelets on elastic and necklaces which are made with gorgeous foil lined glass beads. I just whip them off the elastic and use the beads to make something else! They told me what day they get the delivery so I go for a good root every week!

[Sue T]

When I first started selling I bought 2 long necklaces from Primark, took them apart and made them into different things, one of my customers wears her set all the time, I made all sorts with them and must have made about £20-£30 out of 2 £1.50 necklaces!! Well worth doing in the long run.
Sue.xx

[pepsi]

I have done this too. I like little seed beads for my fairies. I also buy their hair piece's to wig the sculpts. Pretty flower hair bobbles come in too for their petals. Kids feather boa and anything sparkling in the pound shop too. Cheap as chips eh? xxx

[Lady Sparkle]

This is a brilliant idea which I too have also done.I visit the local charity shops and my little boy loves coming with me.The sales assistants always give him a freebie in the way of comics,computer mags so he pesters me to keep going.
I recently bought 4 strands of glass beads from a stall that they have in shopping malls,took them to bits and made for lovely crochet wire sets and more than trebled my money.

Jacki

[beckyboo]

back from the auctions
I have a lovely big bag of jewellery to sort through and take apart, ....plus my OH has promised me a trip to France to one of the street markets (like they show on sun,sea and bargains spotting ) ..I can't wait , all that sparkly french jewellery

[RenataHarris]

I assumed that primark only sell plastic beads though!! I bought some sunglasses i there and they were utter b. I bought some trousers for camping im a standard size 10 they were 10/12 and the zip only went and broke so i had to buy safety pin to wear that weekend!! hate primark

The charity thing is a good idea as it goes to a good cause, and it's like giving something new life! could get rare beads too