I made these faux pocketwatch charms for a steampunk swap. Can you guess what I made these pendants out of? I’ll give you a hint: I got some of my supplies in the office supply store, and some of them in the hardware store. I didn’t want to buy readymade “steampunk” parts and pieces at the craft store, so I worked with what I had on hand, and a couple of generic jewelry-making supplies. Okay, did you figure it out? I used metal washers (hardware store), and rhinestone brads (office supply), as well as jump rings and a link from an oversized copper chain.

Now, if you’re not sure what steampunk is, or how to evoke it in your creations, Beading Daily had some good info on capturing steampunk:

One of the differences between steampunk- and vintage-style is the more mechanical aspect of steampunk elements, using pieces which once functioned rather than which were purely decorative. The exception would be fantasy charms and references, especially winged creatures such as angels and birds, which are characteristic of the Victorian times in general…

Try giving your own work this look with some of these other objects popularly considered to evoke a steampunk era:

  • Civil War-era military trim
  • Military buttons and buckles
  • Leather straps
  • Insignia, such as medals of honor
  • Nautical symbols of the time period
  • Fantasy charms, especially winged creatures: birds, angels, and fairies
  • Old interesting keys and locks
  • Watch parts and watch faces
  • Gears, wheels, and cogs
  • Fancy hinges, hardware, and mechanical bits circa 1900s
  • Typewriter keys or printing press-type pieces
  • Old monocle and eyeglasses lenses
  • Chain with links, especially brass, steel, and gold colored
  • Scientific ephemera: pieces of machinery, lab gizmos, glass vials, etc.

So now that you are more familiar with steampunk, I’ll tell you how I made my steampunk pocketwatch charm.

Project Materials:

  • 1 metal washer (package of 25 for about $2), $.10
  • 2 rhinestone brads (package of 100 for about $3), $.06
  • 1 link from a copper chain (strand for about $2), $.10
  • 2 jump rings, (package for $2), $.10
  • E6000 glue, on hand

Total: about $.36 per charm

Find out how I made it on Page 2