I have a bunch of boxes in my basement that I am going through, from my grandma who passed away in January. There is a ton of stuff and I am finding some things I want to keep but give to family members as keepsakes. For example, I am making a wreath for my mother with some of her mother's ornaments and lace. I am giving my brother her antique nativity scene, fixed up and arranged decoratively. There are 4 watches that my grandma had that I want to do something with. These are small, dainty, pretty wristwatches. I am having a hard time coming up with something crafty to do with them. I was thinking of removing the watch part from the wristband and somehow using them on a picture frame, but can't quite get an idea going. Do any of you have any ideas of what to do with these? Any help is appreciated!
Personally, I would want to be able to wear the watch. That or to have it displayed.
Strong 2nd to having them appraised BEFORE dismantling them.
Why not make a shadowbox and put the watches inside, (don't dismantle them) maybe with a picture or two of your grandmother or other pictures? What a treasure : )
http://www.exposuresonline.com/ExposuresOnline/exposurest...
Re-think the tearing them apart for crafts.
I got a call for a woman I work with from a jeweler telling her that her watch was ready. I gave her the message and she told me the story of her watch.
When she was 16, she had saved money and her mother took her to a jewelry store to buy a watch. It was the first "major" purchase that she saved up for in her life.
She kept the watch and many years later after she had a daughter, her daughter played with it and because the band had been broken, had used all different kinds of things like shoe strings and ribbons for a band.
She recently took it in to have it cleaned and found out that it was high quality white gold watch and very valuable.
She ordered a special band for it and is giving it to her daughter for Christmas. Her daughter is 30.
If these are your Grandmother's watches, I wouldn't dare dismantle them in any way until you've had them looked at.
Just my opinion.
I'm a watch fiend. I love watches, which is pretty ironic when you consider that time is not my friend. I always joke that I set my watch 20 minutes fast so I'll only be 10 minutes late. It doesn't matter how many watches I have on.
I wear watches that the batteries are dead in so I can remember to get new batteries.
It's a love/hate relationship.
Really, get the watches checked before doing anything else with them.
Best wishes.
Could you make them into ornaments?? I'd have to see them. Could you upload a pic of them?
Take them to a jeweler and see if they can be fixed or if they are worth anything. Who knows maybe someone in the family might want to wear grandma's watch once it's fixed and cleaned.
I would take them to a jewelry first, some of those old watches can be fixed up nice, and some are worth $$$.
Are you sure they're not antique? Could be worth something. My mother-in-law gave me an old Omega watch. Very dainty, which is worth a bit of money. You shoud have them apraised first before you take them apart.
Either appraise them and consider fixing, but make sure they are the type of thing that someone will wear.
Otherwise, I think a shadow box with other mementos of your grandmother would make nice gifts - everyone could get one watch. Some slogan like "timeless memories" or something similar might work. Photos or other "finds" from the box could help you personalize each gift for each descendant, and be something that can be passed down. Put notes on a piece of paper that you tape to the back of the shadow box so that future generations will have the particulars.
I love the idea of the wreath you are making! You sound creative so I'm sure you will come up with some new items & crafts.
Jacqueline:
I'm sorry for your loss.
The ideas for the wreath and nativity scene are really nice.
As to the wrist watches? Take them to a jeweler and have them appraised before you do anything with them. I personally would love to have more than one watch to wear...especially if they were my grandmothers. I would wear them myself.
I agree with everybody else. (So why am I posting??) These days one can pick up a watch at a discount store for almost nothing - and it may last about that long before you have to replace it. But only a few decades ago a watch was considered a fine piece of jewelry, not a disposable item.
Before you disassemble, take them to a watch repair shop and ask the watchmaker to appraise them. See if any of them is worth repairing. It could be a little pricey, but still worth it because of the value of the piece. A working antique watch is a lovely gift to a person who will appreciate it.
I have a very pretty little watch that probably dates back thirty years or so, which has run beautifully. It is so different from everything on the market now that it's a real attention-getter when I wear it. I also have my grandmother's wristwatch; she died in 1949, so I think this one is from the late 1930s at the latest. Several years ago I invested some money in cleaning and a little repair, and they also brightened up the face of the tiny watch (I can't imagine how) without changing its appearance. This time piece will probably last longer than I do, and I love to wear it!
I'd first see if they are worth anything, before dismantling them.
This is a quote I have on our wall with a clock and photos
"a memory is a keepsake of time that lives in the heart"
I think if you did decide to display them in a shadow box,or on a frame of some sort this would go along nicely.
I am sorry for your loss.
If they are nice watches, but not of extreme value, I really like the idea of a shadow box.
O. of my mom's friends received a shadowbox made with her mom's pins/brooches arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree--very striking and they enjoy it every year & display it. VERY unique!
Maybe you could incorporate that idea with the watch faces and some other items?
How nice that you are taking such care to make sure that these keepsakes are distributed to people that will appreciate them.
so sorry for your loss....If you use the watch parts...make cufflinks, earrings, jewelry...One of my friends makes her own jewelry. Her business is exclusively about "going green" being environemntally friendly and has made some beautfiul pieces using watch parts.
Oh yeah like the other posts make sure you have them appraised before you do anything. If they don't work can they be fixed for a reasonable cost and then worn if not...then creativity is great!
