The Original Ornament opened on Franklin Street in 1992, and we have made a few moves since then. In 1997, we were temporarily housed in the back of The Painted Bird, later that year the shop moved into Carr Mill Mall. In October of 2000, we expanded within the mall and moved down the hall. We are currently, happily located across from Mulberry Silks at the Elmo's end of the building.
The Original Ornament is a full service bead store located in the historic Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro. We stock all kinds of beads and findings for your beading needs. Click here for an on-line INTERACTIVE MAP. Our inventory includes:
Semi-precious stones by the strand, Miuyki delicas, Miuyki cubes and triangles, Czech seed beads, sterling and gold filled clasps, Thai silver, Bali silver, glass, pearls, Chinese porcelain, bone, trade beads, finished work, and much more!
We pride ourselves on our friendly staff who are willing to give help to the novice and the expert.
Work space is available for anyone, as long as there is room. That includes a beading bar for adults and a children's table; no appointment or payment is necessary to spend on afternoon beading with us!
Please allow us to make arrangements for groups of 5 or more in advance. We want to be prepared with ample staff and work space. We reserve the right to restrict these privileges to any group. Thank you for your cooperation with these policies.
You need only patience and time to create a beautiful masterpiece. With the help of our staff, your piece can be completed and a small labor charge is attached to your total bill.
Professional restringing is offered with a two week turnaround time (can be much longer during the holiday season). The labor is charged by the inch and begins at $.75 and can be as much as $1.75 per inch. The restringing is done in house, by our restringing staff. Please see our services section for more detailed information.
In the past, we have offered a few basic classes to give people general knowledge of beading. Starting in 2003, we have improved the structure of our claseses to include guest teachers with new, more advanced, and interesting techniques. Our classes ore NOT project oriented unless otherwise noted; therefore, you will not leave with a finished product, but you will leave with the knowledge of how to do multiple techniques.
All fees must be paid in advance to reserve your space. A 48 hour cancellation notice is required for a refund. To benefit the entire class, please purchase any supplies prior to the class date.
We reserve the right to cancel classes 48 hours in advance because of under enrollment or other factors that are out of our control. Class fees will be reimbursed or store credits will be issued.
Please see our classes icon for more information about our current classes.
Black Friday, 2007
PJ Party, 2007
