Tallahassee’s Janelle Jewelry Repurposes Vintage Materials into Accessories, Homewares, Free-Size Clothing

Janelle Edwards, who sells under the name Janelle Jewelry, operates a pop-up and studio practice in Tallahassee where she transforms vintage beads, broken jewelry and textiles into new accessories and homewares. Her work spans handmade jewelry, home décor and free-size clothing sets, and as of 2026 her displays have become a regular draw at local markets and studio events.

She assembles what she calls an ever-evolving assortment of repurposed, upcycled and vintage materials, mixing found beads with salvaged metal and stitched textiles to build one-of-a-kind objects. The inventory moves between small wearable pieces and larger hanging works: asymmetric earring sets sit beside dream catchers, sun catchers and wind chimes that introduce movement and warmth into a room.

Signature pieces steer customer behavior. Asymmetric earring sets consistently draw attention at her pop-ups, while her free-size clothing sets often sell out as soon as they hit her display. Seasonal offerings include personalized Christmas ornaments that have become a holiday tradition for many locals, a pattern of repeat buyers and word-of-mouth that keeps her table busy during winter markets.

Edwards’ path to this practice is rooted in a lifelong habit of repurposing. Before she ever set up at a market, Edwards was selling earrings out of a customized binder between classes, and by 2006 she had acquired the necessary licenses and officially began vending. Those early, improvised sales inform a studio-by-studio approach: each piece is assembled from rescued fragments and selected for color, texture and narrative rather than mass production.

Her personal background shapes the work’s intent. She grew up repurposing and upcycling materials and at one point considered becoming a doctor to help and heal others. Over time she reframed that impulse, seeing that healing sometimes comes from being seen and from creative expression; her portfolio reflects that belief in small, tactile ways that prioritize connection over convention.

Tallahassee is more than a business address for Edwards. After spending time in Southern California, she returned and found that landing back in Tallahassee felt right, and she has since found community among others who exist outside traditional boxes of thinking, being and believing. Janelle runs the operation as a one-woman show, supported when needed by a close network of friends and loved ones, and she is candid about the challenge of balancing intense creative work with personal wellness.

Learning to balance creativity with personal wellness has been an ongoing lesson for Edwards, and she continues to approach the studio and pop-up calendar with intention and care. The result is a body of work in which no two pieces are ever quite the same, and that individuality is precisely what keeps collectors and casual shoppers coming back.