Recycle Your Jewelry to Create New Designs

Use a pin converter (left) to turn a brooch into a pendant -- no tools required. The pin slips through the narrow tube shown at the top of the illustration (the converter is upside down, sorry about that). A chain slips easily through the large loop of the converter, and the pendant dangles below it.

Converters are usually available at bead shops. Take your brooch along to preview the look -- converters come in different sizes and some might not be right for your pin.

Inexpensive, blank ring bases are also available at bead shops. Glue anything you like on top of the base to create a dramatic (and cheap) cocktail ring.

Tammy Powley is About.com's Jewelry Making Guide, and her Beginner's Corner contains all of the information you'll need to use the tools required for jewelry recycling (and more).