Handkerchiefs date back as far as 77 B.C, where the first references to this cloth appeared in the writings of Catullus. Historians believe that hankies were originally used by rich people to hide the smell of their neighbor's body odor. The Romans later used them to begin sporting events, and eventually women even used them to flirt with men, according to the Journal Advocate. 
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Vintage hankies are relatively easy to procure as they can often be found at estate sales and yard sales. They are also an inexpensive investment, according to Retro Crafts. 

TooToo Amy, founder of Retro Crafts, uses vintage hankies to create bows and rolled roses. This craft is a non-sew project, which allows you to maintain the structural integrity of the piece. Relying only on knots, twists and folds, you can transform the handkerchiefs into bows and roses to wear in your hair, attach to clothing, or decorate a wreath, according to Retro Crafts.

To create the rose:

Begin by making a knot in one corner of the handkerchief. Then roll it down a bit, twist the cloth a turn counter-clockwise, and roll again. Continue rolling and twisting until you reach the end. Leaving the tail out (it looks like a leaf), flip the handkerchief over and safety pin the back together. 

To create the bow:

Lay the handkerchief flat on a solid surface. Next, pull the bottom of the hanky up so that it folds over on itself, about two-thirds of the way up the length. Then take the top edge and fold it over on itself to meet the other edge in the middle. 

Your handkerchief should now be rectangular, with a slight bubbling in the middle. Next fold the outside edges into the middle (edges slightly overlapping) creating a square. Flip the square over and squeeze the top and bottom edges together to create a bow. Wrap a colorful ribbon around the center to secure the shape of the box. Use a safety pin on the back to secure the ribbon and cloth. 

"The beauty of it is that you can still use it as a hanky if you choose to take it apart and put it back into its original form," Amy said on her video.