Tarina Tarantino is known for her playful, glamorous jewelry and accessories. Her unique pieces have undoubtedly inspired plenty of DIY versions, so it’s fitting that she’s released the how-to manual The Sparkle Factory: The Design and Craft of Tarina’s Fashion Jewelry and Accessories.

The book features 20 projects, plus sections on how the Tarina Tarantino brand came to be, basic techniques, advice on how to find inspiration and materials, and suggestions for how to organize and wear your accessories. Although not all of the jewelry appealed to me, I really enjoyed the unorthodox and inspiring use of materials. The projects use items from a 99-cent store, toy stores, and flea markets, as well as items from craft stores that are re-purposed in unexpected and interesting ways. And it’s easy to imagine many ways in which the projects could be adapted to fit your own aesthetic. In fact Tarantino recommends using the ideas in the book as jumping-off-points, and suggests improvising based on the materials you are able to source and find most appealing. I look forward to trying some of the projects and making them my own.

Overall, it’s a useful book for techniques and inspiration, especially if you’re a fan of the Tarina Tarantino brand. It’s great to see how Tarantino got her start in DIY, and I really appreciate that she’s now sharing her know-how with fans and aspiring jewelry designers.

The Sparkle Factory is published by Running Press and is also available (autographed!) from the Tarina Tarantino site.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. This post contains affiliate links.