Antique stores

Vintage buttons, chains, earrings, shoe clips, charms, old coins. (Caution: there’s a lot of great stuff in antique stores—pendants, brooches, old medals, and the like—but unless there are two of them, or you’re willing to use different embellishments on your left and right shoes, you’ll have to pass them up.)

Beading stores/sites

Cord, seed beads, bugle beads, glass beads, flatback crystals, alphabet beads, imitation gemstones, charms, pendants, metal chains, crystal chains, bracelets, earrings. Try www.artbeads.com, www.venetianbeadshop.com, www.fusionbeads.com, or (for crystals) www.dreamtime.com and www.suesparklers.com.

Belly-dance-supply websites

Large chains, rhinestone chains (at good prices). Try www.natures-gems.com

Button websites

Modern and vintage buttons; artist-made buttons of clay and metal; bridal buttons and loop fasteners; buttons of pearl, rhinestone, shell, enamel, bone, horn, and more.

Chain mail websites

Chain mail, also called chain maille. Try www.theringlord.com.  

Craft stores/sites

Ribbon, chains, seed beads, bugle beads, glass beads, flatback crystals, metal stampings, buttons, appliqués, trim, lace, cord, leather, faux cameos, silk/polyester flowers, studs (the craft-store name for nailheads), feathers, some fur. Try www.kitkraft.biz or www.tinseltrading.com. Also try www.createforless.com where there are good prices, but you can’t always buy just one or two of an item.

Drugstores/sites

Fancy hair clips, bows, chains, bracelets, earrings, pendants, pins.

Fabric stores/sites

Appliques, trim, ribbons, piping, cord, zippers, zipper tape, snap tape, buttons, conchos, flowers, fringe, beaded fringe, sequins, flatback crystals, fabric, Ultrasuede (the brand name for top-quality faux suede), faux fur. Try www.fabrics.com, www.denverfabrics.com, www.laceheaven.com.

Feather websites

Marabou and other boas, “pads” of feathers in amazing natural and dyed colors, loose feathers.  Try www.ostrichesonline.com.

Fly-fishing stores/sites

Nice narrow strips of dyed rabbit fur—and the dye is waterproof.  Try www.theflybench.com.

Hardware stores/sites

Medium- to heavyweight chains, keys, keyholes, escutcheons (the little plates that go around a keyhole, drawer pull, or door handle), interesting-looking rubber washers, nuts, and hinges. Try www.vintagehardware.com.

Jewelry stores/sites

Bracelets, earrings, pendants, pins, chains, charms.

Jewelry-making supply stores/sites

Metal stampings, beads, charms, cameos, chains, flatback crystals. Try www.firemountain.com, www.bsueboutiques.com, www.joggles.com or www.artgirlz.com. 

Leather-craft stores/sites

Buckles, conchos, spots (the leather-store name for nailheads) leather cord, suede fringe, bags of leather and suede scraps, snakeskin, exotic leathers, some fur. Try www.tandyleatherfactory.com or www.sbearstradingpost.com.

Milliners supply stores/sites

All kinds of fabric flowers, leaves, and fruit.

Scrapbooking and rubber-stamp stores/sites

Charms, word charms, old coins, word beads, ribbons, ribbon slides, brads (the scrapbooking name for nailheads), little enamel plaques, trim, old-fashioned-looking keys. Try www.articusstudiodesign.com, www.ornamentea.com

Silk flower stores/sites

Silk, velvet, organdy, satin, cotton, and/or polyester flowers and leaves, ribbons.

Thrift stores

Bracelets, earrings, chains, charms (see Caution above in “Antique Stores.”).

Trim stores/sites

Appliqués, trims, ribbons, piping, cord, fringe, beaded fringe, buttons, buckles, lace, flowers, nailheads (also called studs, spots, or brads), feathers, some fur. Try www.mjtrim.com, www.lesbonribbon.com or the sewing sites listed.

Upholstery or home décor stores/sites

Medium- to heavyweight trim, piping, cord, braid, fringe, usually more luxurious than that found in fabric stores.

Yarn stores/sites

Buttons, especially unusual designs and large ones (1 inch across or more) that are big enough to be visible on the toe of a shoe).