EXHIBIT 5.1


                         WINSTEAD SECHREST & MINICK P.C.
                        1201 Elm, 5400 Renaissance Tower
                               Dallas, Texas 75270
                                  (214)745-5400



                                  May 14, 2002


Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc.
690 East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 200
Arlington, Texas  76011

Gentlemen:

         Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
is today transmitting for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") a Form S-8 Registration Statement (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), with
respect to the registration of 450,000 additional shares (the "Plan Shares") of
common stock, $1.00 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company
which may be issued pursuant to the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. 1997 Employee
Stock Option Plan, as amended (the "Plan") and 19,250 shares of Common Stock
(the "Option Shares" and, collectively with the Plan Shares, the "Shares") which
may be issued pursuant to the Nonqualified Stock Option Agreements between the
Company and each of James F. Gaertner, Marvin J. Girouard, Gene Stallings, Roger
R. Hemminghaus, and Colombe M. Nicholas (the "Non-Employee Directors").

         In rendering the opinion expressed herein, we have examined the
following:

                  (i)      the Plan;

                  (ii)     the Nonqualified Stock Option Agreements for
                           Non-Employee Directors, dated October 16, 2001,
                           between the Company and each of the Non-Employee
                           Directors (the "Option Agreements");

                  (ii)     the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and
                           all amendments thereto;

                  (iii)    the Bylaws of the Company, as amended;

                  (iv)     minutes of meetings or unanimous consents in lieu of
                           meetings of the Company's board of directors and
                           stockholders; and




                  (v)      such other corporate records and documents,
                           certificates of corporate and public officials and
                           statutes as we have deemed necessary for the purposes
                           of this opinion.

         In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of all corporate records, documents and instruments submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as conformed, certified or photostatic copies thereof, and the
authenticity of the originals of such photostatic, certified or conformed
copies. We have assumed compliance both in the past and in the future with the
terms of the Plan and the Option Agreements by the Company and its employees,
officers, Board of Directors and any committee and/or trustee appointed to
administer the Plan and the Option Agreements.

         The opinions expressed herein are limited in all respects to the
substantive law of the State of Texas, the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware and the federal law of the United States, and we assume no
responsibility as to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the
laws of any other jurisdiction.

         Based upon the foregoing and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion
that the Shares, when distributed pursuant to and in accordance with the terms
of the Plan and the Option Agreements, respectively, will be validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock.

         This firm consents to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as
Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not
admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by
Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                            WINSTEAD SECHREST & MINICK P.C.



                                            /s/ Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.