This week I dug through my junk drawer for stuff to make a bag charm without spending any money. Grabbed a handful of random items like old shoelaces, broken jewelry pieces, and spare buttons.
My Junk Drawer Treasure Hunt
- Found weird green shoelaces from sneakers I threw out last year
- Snagged dangly bits off a cheap broken bracelet
- Tiny cat button from an old shirt
- Bottle cap from that craft beer I drank Tuesday
- Scrounged up fishing line and super glue
Let’s Start Tying Things Together
First I cut the shoelace super short, maybe 3 inches. Used fishing line to tie the cat button to one end – tied like 5 knots because that button kept sliding off. Then took the bracelet charm and glued it to the bottle cap. Big mistake! Glue squirted everywhere and got on my thumb. Had to wash hands with nail polish remover before continuing.
Waited 10 minutes for the glue mess to dry. Pressed the cap-charm combo against the shoelace where I cut it. More glue, less this time. Held it tight while counting to 60 slowly. Almost dropped it at 43.
The Tangle Disaster
Tried adding beads from the broken bracelet. They refused to stay put on the fishing line! Every time I tied one, another would slide off. Ended up knotting above AND below each bead like a maniac. Now the strands looked like a spider smoked crack and tried knitting.
Trimmed the messy ends with kitchen scissors. They frayed worse than my grandma’s bathroom rug. Sealed them with clear nail polish while muttering swear words under my breath.
Surprisingly OK Result
After like 40 minutes of struggle, it actually looks kinda decent? The bottle cap hides most of my glue disasters. When I shake it, the beads make satisfying clicky sounds. Tied it to my backpack zipper and it hasn’t fallen off yet. Might make more next weekend with better junk!
