<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-07-01</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000869487</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TANDY BRANDS ACCESSORIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TBAC</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000903774</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>JENKINS J S B</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>President and CEO</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-01</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>483.9</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>11.7321</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>3283.231</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Stock Purchase Program</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-01</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>12100</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>372471</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Purchase)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>12.065</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-07-01</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>29700</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2004-07-01</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-01</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>29700</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>29700</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">On July 1, 2003, the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Stock Purchase Program purchased, in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3, 483.900 shares of common stock for the reporting person's account.  Such shares were purchased at $11.7321 per share, the average of the closing prices of the common stock on the NASDAQ National Market System for each trading day in the month of June 2003 for which contributions were credited to the reporting person's account for the purchase of common stock.</footnote><footnote id="F2">The reporting person also indirectly holds 146,237.4124 shares of common stock in the Issuer's 401(k) Plan, also known as the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Employees Investment Plan (such holdings are based on most recent plan statement); and 40,529.9895 shares of common stock in the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Benefit Restoration Plan  (such holdings are based on most recent plan statement).</footnote><footnote id="F3">Restricted stock award granted pursuant to the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. 2002 Omnibus Plan.  </footnote><footnote id="F4">Employee stock option granted pursuant to the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. 2002 Omnibus Plan.  This option vests in 33.33% increments on each anniversary date of the original grant until fully vested.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Mark J. Flaherty as attorney-in-fact for J.S.B. Jenkins</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-02</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

