I never had a bedazzler. I think my parents probably thought they were tacky, and they weren’t wrong. But as an 80s kid, being able to bedeck a jean jacket or tee shirt with gems and studs was the height of cool. Generally my tastes run a little more sophisticated as an adult, but I still occasionally like a good bedazzled craft project. That’s why, when I found a clutch at a local thrift store, I was excited to turn it into a pearl embellished box clutch.
I found this box clutch at my local Goodwill. My Goodwill gets quite a few Target castoffs, so they had multiples of this Merona bag for sale. For some reason, instead of tagging items, our store writes the price right on each item with a SHARPIE. So annoying. Thankfully a little bit of mineral spirits was enough to remove the ink from the metal side of the clutch.
The chain strap is removable so that the bag can be used as a purse or a clutch. It won’t hold a lot, but it will definitely fit money, keys, phone, and lipstick. What more do you really need?
I wanted to personalized the clutch a bit, so I dug around in my stash to find any embellishments that were at all pearl-like. I ended up finding a few old necklaces, some spare beads, pearl scrapbook brads, and strings of Christmas beads. I used my trusty Aleene’s Glitter & Gem glue to adhere them to the front of the bag. I didn’t really plan the layout, I just freestyled as I went. 
I went back and forth deciding whether I wanted to fill the side of the clutch with pearls or not. In the end, I realized that I wouldn’t have enough to fill the whole side adequately, so I had my answer.
I think the embellishment adds a little personality to the clutch that was missing before. If you aren’t into the ladylike pearl look, you could use rhinestones, buttons, studs, or beads instead. Are you already looking around you for something to bedazzle?
I’ve gathered links to the materials I used in this tutorial. If you purchase after clicking one of these links, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
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