Thrift Flip: How I Turned a $5 Jewelry Box into a Micro Bag

When I spotted a vintage jewelry box on the shelves of my local thrift store, I immediately saw its potential. It had that structured silhouette of a designer micro bag—sturdy black leather, a clean snap closure, and even a built in mirror. I knew I had to take it home and give it a different life as an evening accessory.

Before and after graphic showing a plain black vintage jewelry box alongside the flipped micro bag with gold chain and charm on a pink background.

If you love sustainable style and high impact DIY transformations, check out the full step-by-step video below to see how this thrifted gem came together!

Materials & Tools Needed


Metal Purse Feet / Bag Studs – Gives the base an instant luxury upgrade and keeps it raised off surfaces.

Glitzy Mini-Handbag Charm – Adds a whimsical, high fashion touch to the handle.

Gold Crossbody Chain Strap – Converts a stationary handle into a functional, hands free shoulder or crossbody bag.

Self-Adhesive Velvet Flocking Sheet – Creates a soft, seamless luxury interior lining.

Strong Craft / Jewelry Glue – Secures hardware and strap attachments without damaging the outer frame.

Seam Ripper & Butter Knife – Essential for gutting the original jewelry dividers.
You don't need a heavy duty workshop to pull off a transformation like this—just a few small additions.

How I Flipped It: Step-by-Step

1. Gutting and Prepping the Interior The first goal was to maximize interior storage space. I used a seam ripper and a butter knife to carefully dismantle the old, bulky jewelry compartments without snagging the outer structure. This freed up enough room for the essentials: keys, cardholder, and a favorite lipstick!

Hands using a seam ripper tool to remove inner felt dividers from a vintage black leather jewelry box.

2. Adding the Feet, Strap, and Charm To elevate the exterior, I attached metallic feet to the base. I pierced small guide holes in the bottom, inserted each foot, and secured them tightly inside. Next, I clipped a gold chain strap directly to the existing handle loops, securing the connection with a brush of glue. To finish off the look, I added a tiny handbag charm for a bit of playful sparkle.

Hands pushing metal purse feet hardware studs through the bottom base of a black leather bag.

Hands attaching a gold chain crossbody strap to the leather handle loops of a black mini purse.

3. Tailoring the Velvet Lining To hide the underlying structure where the old dividers were removed, I measured and cut black peel-and-stick velvet flocking for the bottom and walls. Self-adhesive flocking is a game changer—it lays completely smooth, looks instantly high-end, and requires zero messy liquid glue inside the bag.

Hands placing self-adhesive black velvet flocking paper into the interior compartment of a box bag.

The Final Look

I styled the final piece with an amazing thrifted J Crew tulip skirt and a Zara puff sleeve crop tee for a fun, bold statement. Loved carrying my new little bag. It’s just the right size for an evening out.

Woman on a wooden deck holding up a completed DIY upcycled black micro bag with a gold chain strap.

What do you think of this transformation? Have you ever repurposed a non bag item into a purse? Let me know in the comments below!


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