<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-08-01</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>690 EAST LAMAR, SUITE 200</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ARLINGTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76011</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>President and CEO</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-08-01</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>478.53</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>12.4925</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>3761.761</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Stock Purchase Program</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>146237.412</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By 401(k) Plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>44588.3</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Benefit Restoration Plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>372471</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">On August 1, 2003, the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Stock Purchase Program purchased, in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3, 478.530 shares of common stock for the reporting person's account.  Such shares were purchased at $12.4925 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 July 2003 for which contributions were credited to the reporting person's account for the purchase of common stock.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Holdings reflect shares previously acquired under the Issuer's 401(k) Plan, also known as the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Employees Investment Plan.  Holdings are as of July 31, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F3">Holdings reflect shares previously acquired under the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Benefit Restoration Plan.  Holdings are as of July 31, 2003. </footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Mark J. Flaherty as attorney-in-fact for J.S.B. Jenkins</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-08-04</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

