Learn how to make vintage photo locket bracelets with old wrist watches and your favorite antique photos. I love old photos - they offer passage to a past world and a view into a moment frozen in time. Look at the small details - the shoes, the hands, the detailing on the dresses for clues into the daily lives of the sitter. Making a vintage photo locket bracelet takes just a few materials is a wonderful way to make a memorable keepsake or a vintage fashion accessory.
But here's the thing. I'm not using these photos in my bracelet project - they're too historical and valuable and I just can't bring myself cut them up! There is also a practical reason, that cutting the photo to fit the watch case is not always an exact science, and it would be rather tragic to cut the photo and not be able to use it. It's also really special to use photos of family members for remembrance - I made one with my grandmothers engagement photo that I was able to resize from an 8x10 to a keepsake bracelet.
Simple solution: use printouts! Simply scan and print the photos you want to use. 300 dpi works well and I do mine in the original color to preserve the sepia, rather than using straight black and white. You also have the advantage of adjusting size with a basic photo editor. Measure the watch case and make sure your photos are the right size - with the central image usually about .75-1 wide and tall.
Before cutting, I trace the watch case as a guide then cut the shape slightly inside the line. Just prior to inserting the photo, I add a dab or tacky glue or glue stick to help the photo stay put. Then gently insert the photo - it's ok if the edges of the paper bend a tiny bit on the way in. Use your fingernail or a clean pencil eraser to press the edges flat and then snap the case closed.
Enjoy!