Gather ‘round, glitter sisters! One of this year’s winter jewelry must-haves is a super easy, make-it-yourself with a pretty chain from Thrift Town.

Here’s the back story: I’m not a huge fan of necklaces but I loved the beribboned chain I first saw at…well, let’s not name names. I’ll just say that you’ve got one of these at your local upscale mall. I plucked it off the rack and promptly put it back when I saw the $89.99 price tag! Even the lower priced version at a mid-price store was $39.99 and I thought, “come on…it’s a chain with big links and some ribbon!!” This is a job for…Thrift Town!

All you need to make this fashion statement is a chain with big enough links to weave ribbon through. You can do a solid color for a more conservative look or something fun and fancy for a more casual piece. Your options are only limited by the odds and ends of ribbon you’ve got in your craft drawer! Of course the chain was a whopping $2.99 at Thrift Town and I splurged for shiny, red ribbon at the craft store. I experimented with a couple of different looks (wrap some scotch tape around the end of the ribbon for easier “threading”) but loved the way the ribbon looked going through the big links and skipping the small ones. In fact, I was so happy with it that I tied it off with a big red bow and wore it to a Christmas party! It looked terrific against a black dress.

Take that, department store. I’ll take complements for my DIY ribbon necklace over a kick in the checkbook any day!

Stephanie F. is a dedicated thrifter whose mantra is, “Buy used – there’s just too much stuff in the world!” She became hooked when she found a pair of sock hop saddle shoes in junior high that she could actually afford with her allowance money (hey, it was a RETRO sock hop!). Today she lives and works in Texas’ capital city doing her part to “Keep Austin Weird.” She’s the author of an Austin blog – The Thrifty Snicker – which lets her prowl local thrift stores while telling herself that it’s not shopping; it’s research.