Home Home Decor Ideas Do-it-yourself Napkin Rings By Zoe Gowen Zoe Gowen After a notable obsession with yellow houses, historic homes, and glossy magazines as a child that lead to a degree in American Studies from Sewanee: University of the South followed by a jaunt through the Washington, DC art world, Zoë found her way as the Senior Home and Garden Editor with Southern Living. There she crisscrossed the region to produce inspiring interiors, entertaining, and holiday stories while also overseeing the Idea House franchise. After seeing more porches and Christmas trees than any other reasonable person can claim, she ventured out to pave new roads freelancing for various magazines and helping people bring magazine tearsheets to life inside private homes via interior decorating. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 10, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Miki Duisterhof Style expert Eddie Ross shows you how to transform vintage brooches into gorgeous napkin rings. 01 of 06 Finding Napkin Ring Inspiration Photo: Terry Manier Flea markets are often full of costume jewelry in a range of styles and materials. Older pieces can be quite valuable, while others are prized for their looks. Recently, Eddie came across a collection of vintage brooches at the Nashville Flea Market. Many looked like gold in shapes reminiscent of a starburst. On closer inspection, however, he noticed most of the brooches had broken pins and latches. These weren't valuable pieces, but for less than $20 he couldn't resist their charm. He knew he could make them into napkin rings for his table. Here's how to make them. 02 of 06 Materials Photo: Jaithan Kochar Needle-nose pliersBroochesSoft-bristle brushSanding spongeQuick-drying hard epoxyPlastic container lid and chopstick or skewer for mixing epoxySimple napkin rings with a smooth surfaceBlue painter's tape to hold brooch to napkin ring while drying 03 of 06 Getting Started Photo: Jaithan Kochar Using needle-nose pliers, remove damaged pins and latches from the brooches. Then, carefully scrub the brooches with a soft-bristle brush; rinse them with warm soapy water; and dry them with a soft cloth. 04 of 06 Roughen Up the Backs Photo: Jaithan Kochar Using a sanding sponge, rough up the backs of the brooches. Then apply quick-drying epoxy to both the back of each brooch and the top of each napkin ring. Hold each brooch and napkin ring together using blue painter's tape until the epoxy dries. 05 of 06 Voilà! Miki Duisterhof If Coco Chanel can use costume jewelry to accessorize a dress, why can't you use it to dress up your table? Finish setting the table by pairing a chic napkin ring with a pretty patterned napkin and placing them center stage in each place setting. Vintage brooches come in a variety of styles, so remember to combine colors and shapes that work well together. 06 of 06 Consider It a Gift Photo: Miki Duisterhof Treat your friends to these sparkly, one-of-a-kind napkin rings for a thoughtful gift. Or use them for your own dinner party, and then let guests take them home as a favors! Find more gifts that every Southerner will love. The Ultimate Gift Guide Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit