Crafting in a recession: Make a recycled watch steampunk necklace

These days, watches are inexpensive.  However, they are cheaply made and easily breakable.  Additionally, the cost of replacement batteries is often as much as the cost of an entirely new watch.

Making the most of your craft budget during a recession means being resourceful.  Many Michigan crafters are tightening their budgets and looking for new, creative ways to craft using what they already have. If you have broken or dead watches laying around, they can easily be recycled into beautiful pendant necklaces.  These tiny dioramas can be filled with any tiny bits, such as old earrings, zipper pulls, beads, buttons, or anything else you can fit inside.

Watches are a popular motif in the steampunk style.  Steampunk is like historical science fiction - artifacts from a past that never happened in which steam, not electricity, was the dominate power technology.  Using antique or vintage-looking parts, parts with an industrial look, or a mixture of the two will add to the finished product's steampunk look.  If you need inspiration, a quick search for "steampunk" on Etsy or Artfire will yield a vast array of items to look at.

The slideshow below shows step-by-step how to make an old watch into a gorgeous pendant necklace.