Remember how I told you to gather up all your souvenir smashed pennies back during my trip to Disneyland? Well, I've been working for weeks now on assembling lots of fun options for turning these: Into these: Yes, it's upside down. I was just seeing if you were...uh...paying attention. Yeah. That's it. Intrigued? Want to know how to make these yourself for only a couple of bucks and reused materials you probably already have? Plus see more designs? Then read on, intrepid penny lover! Read on. Ok, first let's start with the easiest method out there. It goes like this: 1) Drill a tiny hole in penny/smashed coin. 2) Insert O ring into hole. 3) Voila! Instant smashed penny charm! I used a smashed dime for this, and added it to a charm bracelet I already had: The dime is just a bit shorter than a smashed penny, so it works well for a bracelet dangle. To drill such a small hole, you really need to get your hands on a Dremel. You'll also need a special attachment for the Dremel to hold the teensy tiny drill bits, which costs about $10. Now, if you're not very comfortable with power tools, don't worry: the Dremel is super easy to use, and will most likely become your gateway drug into bigger and scarier Toys That Make Noise. Trust me. Ok, so just inserting an O ring covers about 90% of the smashed penny jewelry I've seen online. Now let's get to the goodies that let us do more: Thank you, clearance! Both of these were 40% off at JoAnn's. You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame fit a smashed penny perfectly. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'cuz this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!) The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 1) Center penny in frame 2) Glue 3) Voila! A smashed penny charm! I've actually had this penny since I was a JC skipper, so it means a lot to me. In fact, trying to find a way to turn it into a necklace is what led me to these silver scrap booking ovals in the first place. Now it's one of my favorite possessions. If you're going to do a similar design to this, I highly recommend getting a second penny oval and putting the two back to back. (The charm tends to flip over when you wear it.) I just recently added a Tiki Room penny to the back of this necklace. No need for glue; just use the O-rings to hold them together. Now, for the more ornate frame, we have to add a few steps: 1) Using the piece of clear plastic that comes in the frame as a guide, trace the oval onto your penny: You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin. 2) Next, using flat-nosed nippers (see above photo) CAREFULLY snip off the excess metal. Wear safety glasses, please; the little bits of metal tend to go flying like stubborn toenails. Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway. You know what I mean. 3) Ok, next, carefully pry off the back of the metal frame with a screwdriver: The back has both glue and small metal posts holding it in place. Try not to break off the posts, if possible. (Although don't sweat it if you do.) 4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't. That's ok. Next use your nippers to remove any bumps or slivers keeping the penny from sitting flush in the frame. (If you have a metal file on hand, you can use that, too.) This will take a while. Don't rush it, though, because you want a tight, perfect fit: 5) When you're happy with the fit, dab small dots of super glue (or Gorilla glue, which I like a bit better) on the back seam. Spread the glue with a toothpick, checking to make sure it's not visible from the front. 6) Finally, glue and snap the back piece back on, and then admire your handiwork: Then comes the really fun part: go raid your jewelry box. Odds are, you have some bits or beads or chains that you can add your new charm to. I found some pretty peach beads that I wanted to use, and then went to town combining them with old chains scavenged from necklaces I never wear: The penny necklace is separate so that I can also wear it on its own, but all the other chains are combined onto a single clasp. I like the ribbon bow on the side, but I need to find a better one; this one kept unraveling. (And in case you're wondering, yes, this is the famous ribbon that Tonks swallowed. Grr.) Next, I wanted to make a leather cuff bracelet. After scrounging and searching the craft store for the right leather, it finally dawned on me that I could just use an old belt. I still have a stash of thrift-store belts left over from my book-purse making days, so I found a plain brown one and snipped it up: This is one of the larger scrapbooking ovals. I have a hunch a smashed quarter might fit in it, so I'm saving this piece until I'm out at the parks next to snag one. As you can see, the frame's holes line up perfectly with the belt notches - a nice bonus, since that means no drilling to get the brads through. I'll add more brads to the two remaining holes for decoration. And speaking of which, here are the brads: Also 40% off, uhthankyouverramuch. The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, the scrapbooking aisle is fantastic for hunting jewelry supplies.) So, to make the penny bracelet, you'll need another piece of belt - no holes - that's long enough to fit your wrist with about a one-inch overlap. Use a snap kit (available at any craft store) to hammer on a snap closure - or you can use Velcro or magnets or toggle buttons or any other snappy solution your crafty little heart desires. Ok, now this is important: Before you glue your penny into the frame, you're going to need to bend both it and the penny slightly to fit the curve of your wrist: Both the frame and penny are pretty thin, so you may be able to bend them using just your hands. (I needed John's help.) Try pressing them over a soup can to get a nice, even curve. When the penny and frame are both bent to your liking, glue the penny in: Now to attach the frame to your cuff, you'll need to drill two holes in the leather. The Dremel will work for this, too, but you'll need a larger drill bit. Once your holes are drilled, insert the metal brads through the frame & leather and bend them open on the backside: This is quite tight, but you can also add a dollop of super glue over the brads for extra security. Because the ends are bent down into the leather/vinyl, though, you won't have to worry about them scratching your arm. Tada! If you're feeling industrious, there's actually enough room on this cuff to add two more penny frames on either side. Personally I like it with just the one, but feel free to experiment and see what looks good to you. Oh, and here's something I should have mentioned at the beginning but forgot to so I'll just cram it in here: Before you go gluing your pennies into frames, decide if you want them polished or not. If so, then you'll need to both polish and clear-coat them ahead of time. I use a simple brass polish, and then a spray lacquer. If you like the patina of your penny as-is, though, then never mind. Glue at will! The two pennies on the left are polished, and the one on the right is not. See all the color variations? The one in the middle almost looks like brass! Experiment with different ages of pennies and polishes to get the look you want. (Older pennies have a different metal content, and so look different than the new ones. They're also copper all the way through, whereas newer pennies will show a silver core when drilled into.) Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny... That's how. :D And finally, here are some more options for penny jewelry that don't use frames at all; just lots of drilling: I originally intended to link this penny into a chain on either end, but I haven't found a chain I like for it yet. As you can see, you can still string it on a necklace using O-rings this way, but it does look a bit odd up close. The options with dangling beads from the penny are limitless, though: any tiny crystal or bead will work, and you can add just one accent dangle or ring the entire bottom with them. Here I started with an existing necklace and added to it: The colored beads used to be a child's stretchy bracelet I bought for a few dollars eons ago and then never wore. I figured I'd try making my own dangle beads with them, to go along with the Dumbo penny and silver necklace. Here's the finished product: To be honest, I may end up taking the Dumbo charm off and wearing it solo. I like the bead dangle on it, but I'm not sure about the copper against all that silver. I do like the colored beads with the circles, though, so worst case scenario I just get two necklaces out of this. :) Here are a few more mock-ups I've been working on: I've spent almost every night for a week happily puttering about with all these bits and pieces and old necklaces and beads and such on the dining room table. It looks like a war zone, but fun! Also, ladies, this is why you never - EVER - throw old jewelry away. I mean it. If a chain snaps, a bead falls off, etc., grab a Ziploc baggy and *save it.* Here's the final product for the other Tinkerbell penny: I bought this pirate ship necklace on some cool Indy site, but it turned out to be cheap, clouded plastic. Boo. Now, though, it's just cute enough that I might actually wear it. I don't have any more finished products to show you (yet), but here are a few more mock-ups: Trying to decide if black chain and copper go together. Right now I'm thinking no, so I'm looking for a different chain to string the old key and a few baubles on, along with the Alice penny. I've also been playing with those copper letters; you can string a chain or ribbon through them. Oooh, the possibilities... I love this penny (c'mon, seahorse!!), so I've been dragging my feet deciding what to do with it. I like how this old necklace looks like seaweed around it, but I may take off the bottom dangle - it just seems too much. It also kind of looks more like a brooch than a necklace to me. I dunno. What do you guys think? Anyway, I'll keep working, so expect another update sometime in the future! In the meantime, have any of you made smashed coin jewelry? Share your links in the comments, or send me pictures! I'm especially curious to see more bracelets and whether anyone's ever tried making a ring out of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?) ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Doesn't everyone just love a fun souvenir penny? We've taken these tokens and made them into a bangle! Details: -Souvenir Pennies Drilled & Sanded; Clear-Coated -Can Be Customized to Your City or State (If Available) -Wire Wrapped Onto Adjustable Brass Cuff that fits most wrist sizes Please choose a city when ordering. Choose "Custom Request" if you'd like a city that isn't listed or "Send Your Own Penny" to send me your own penny to be made into a bangle. I will try my best to fill every "Custom Request" order, but can't guarantee that each requested penny can be found.
Hello, long time no post! Life and work have gotten in the way of my crafting and scrapping! Hopefully my next post will be sooner. It was just county fair time here in Sonoma County. It is always a summer must for us to visit, to see the beautiful themed flower show, the animals, carnival and fair food! I also love to check out the Adult Fine Art and Home Art Exhibits, and also the Kids exhibits. There are some talented people in our county. Almost every year I also enter items in the Home Art Exhibits. It is fun to see my creations on display and see if I won any ribbons! Below are a few of my entries this year. I entered my smashed penny bracelet, made from my smashed pennies I gather on my travels. I added some bead accents and used my handy Crop-a-dile from my scrap tools to punch a hole in each smashed penny. I also entered this little sewing book I made while scrapping at my friend Narda's one weekend. I covered manila file folders with sewing themed scrapbook paper and real sewing pattern tissue. I covered chipboard for the covers and put it all together with my bind-it-all. I embroidered the little heart for the cover. The photos that will go in the album are photos of my sewing projects that I have given away or were out grown! I also made another paper mache figure, this time a Santa with his toy bag on a paper mache book. Santa is molded from styrofoam shapes and aluminum foil, covered in paper mache medium. Painted and covered with mica flakes, all set for Christmas! I entered some cards too! And of course some scrapbook pages! My 4th Fervor page even won a blue ribbon! I had another 2 page scrap book lay out, but the fair crew only displayed one page! I was disappointed they only displayed one side as they were attached together? The judge wrote on my entry, "where's the journaling?" On the half of the lay out you did not see! My son Henry entered a Lego creation, as he does every year. He always themes his creation to the Fair theme, and wins a blue ribbon every year he has entered. Thanks for visiting! Hopefully my next blog post comes a little bit sooner that the last!
Remember how I told you to gather up all your souvenir smashed pennies back during my trip to Disneyland? Well, I've been working for weeks now on assembling lots of fun options for turning these: Into these: Yes, it's upside down. I was just seeing if you were...uh...paying attention. Yeah. That's it. Intrigued? Want to know how to make these yourself for only a couple of bucks and reused materials you probably already have? Plus see more designs? Then read on, intrepid penny lover! Read on. Ok, first let's start with the easiest method out there. It goes like this: 1) Drill a tiny hole in penny/smashed coin. 2) Insert O ring into hole. 3) Voila! Instant smashed penny charm! I used a smashed dime for this, and added it to a charm bracelet I already had: The dime is just a bit shorter than a smashed penny, so it works well for a bracelet dangle. To drill such a small hole, you really need to get your hands on a Dremel. You'll also need a special attachment for the Dremel to hold the teensy tiny drill bits, which costs about $10. Now, if you're not very comfortable with power tools, don't worry: the Dremel is super easy to use, and will most likely become your gateway drug into bigger and scarier Toys That Make Noise. Trust me. Ok, so just inserting an O ring covers about 90% of the smashed penny jewelry I've seen online. Now let's get to the goodies that let us do more: Thank you, clearance! Both of these were 40% off at JoAnn's. You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame fit a smashed penny perfectly. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'cuz this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!) The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 1) Center penny in frame 2) Glue 3) Voila! A smashed penny charm! I've actually had this penny since I was a JC skipper, so it means a lot to me. In fact, trying to find a way to turn it into a necklace is what led me to these silver scrap booking ovals in the first place. Now it's one of my favorite possessions. If you're going to do a similar design to this, I highly recommend getting a second penny oval and putting the two back to back. (The charm tends to flip over when you wear it.) I just recently added a Tiki Room penny to the back of this necklace. No need for glue; just use the O-rings to hold them together. Now, for the more ornate frame, we have to add a few steps: 1) Using the piece of clear plastic that comes in the frame as a guide, trace the oval onto your penny: You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin. 2) Next, using flat-nosed nippers (see above photo) CAREFULLY snip off the excess metal. Wear safety glasses, please; the little bits of metal tend to go flying like stubborn toenails. Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway. You know what I mean. 3) Ok, next, carefully pry off the back of the metal frame with a screwdriver: The back has both glue and small metal posts holding it in place. Try not to break off the posts, if possible. (Although don't sweat it if you do.) 4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't. That's ok. Next use your nippers to remove any bumps or slivers keeping the penny from sitting flush in the frame. (If you have a metal file on hand, you can use that, too.) This will take a while. Don't rush it, though, because you want a tight, perfect fit: 5) When you're happy with the fit, dab small dots of super glue (or Gorilla glue, which I like a bit better) on the back seam. Spread the glue with a toothpick, checking to make sure it's not visible from the front. 6) Finally, glue and snap the back piece back on, and then admire your handiwork: Then comes the really fun part: go raid your jewelry box. Odds are, you have some bits or beads or chains that you can add your new charm to. I found some pretty peach beads that I wanted to use, and then went to town combining them with old chains scavenged from necklaces I never wear: The penny necklace is separate so that I can also wear it on its own, but all the other chains are combined onto a single clasp. I like the ribbon bow on the side, but I need to find a better one; this one kept unraveling. (And in case you're wondering, yes, this is the famous ribbon that Tonks swallowed. Grr.) Next, I wanted to make a leather cuff bracelet. After scrounging and searching the craft store for the right leather, it finally dawned on me that I could just use an old belt. I still have a stash of thrift-store belts left over from my book-purse making days, so I found a plain brown one and snipped it up: This is one of the larger scrapbooking ovals. I have a hunch a smashed quarter might fit in it, so I'm saving this piece until I'm out at the parks next to snag one. As you can see, the frame's holes line up perfectly with the belt notches - a nice bonus, since that means no drilling to get the brads through. I'll add more brads to the two remaining holes for decoration. And speaking of which, here are the brads: Also 40% off, uhthankyouverramuch. The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, the scrapbooking aisle is fantastic for hunting jewelry supplies.) So, to make the penny bracelet, you'll need another piece of belt - no holes - that's long enough to fit your wrist with about a one-inch overlap. Use a snap kit (available at any craft store) to hammer on a snap closure - or you can use Velcro or magnets or toggle buttons or any other snappy solution your crafty little heart desires. Ok, now this is important: Before you glue your penny into the frame, you're going to need to bend both it and the penny slightly to fit the curve of your wrist: Both the frame and penny are pretty thin, so you may be able to bend them using just your hands. (I needed John's help.) Try pressing them over a soup can to get a nice, even curve. When the penny and frame are both bent to your liking, glue the penny in: Now to attach the frame to your cuff, you'll need to drill two holes in the leather. The Dremel will work for this, too, but you'll need a larger drill bit. Once your holes are drilled, insert the metal brads through the frame & leather and bend them open on the backside: This is quite tight, but you can also add a dollop of super glue over the brads for extra security. Because the ends are bent down into the leather/vinyl, though, you won't have to worry about them scratching your arm. Tada! If you're feeling industrious, there's actually enough room on this cuff to add two more penny frames on either side. Personally I like it with just the one, but feel free to experiment and see what looks good to you. Oh, and here's something I should have mentioned at the beginning but forgot to so I'll just cram it in here: Before you go gluing your pennies into frames, decide if you want them polished or not. If so, then you'll need to both polish and clear-coat them ahead of time. I use a simple brass polish, and then a spray lacquer. If you like the patina of your penny as-is, though, then never mind. Glue at will! The two pennies on the left are polished, and the one on the right is not. See all the color variations? The one in the middle almost looks like brass! Experiment with different ages of pennies and polishes to get the look you want. (Older pennies have a different metal content, and so look different than the new ones. They're also copper all the way through, whereas newer pennies will show a silver core when drilled into.) Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny... That's how. :D And finally, here are some more options for penny jewelry that don't use frames at all; just lots of drilling: I originally intended to link this penny into a chain on either end, but I haven't found a chain I like for it yet. As you can see, you can still string it on a necklace using O-rings this way, but it does look a bit odd up close. The options with dangling beads from the penny are limitless, though: any tiny crystal or bead will work, and you can add just one accent dangle or ring the entire bottom with them. Here I started with an existing necklace and added to it: The colored beads used to be a child's stretchy bracelet I bought for a few dollars eons ago and then never wore. I figured I'd try making my own dangle beads with them, to go along with the Dumbo penny and silver necklace. Here's the finished product: To be honest, I may end up taking the Dumbo charm off and wearing it solo. I like the bead dangle on it, but I'm not sure about the copper against all that silver. I do like the colored beads with the circles, though, so worst case scenario I just get two necklaces out of this. :) Here are a few more mock-ups I've been working on: I've spent almost every night for a week happily puttering about with all these bits and pieces and old necklaces and beads and such on the dining room table. It looks like a war zone, but fun! Also, ladies, this is why you never - EVER - throw old jewelry away. I mean it. If a chain snaps, a bead falls off, etc., grab a Ziploc baggy and *save it.* Here's the final product for the other Tinkerbell penny: I bought this pirate ship necklace on some cool Indy site, but it turned out to be cheap, clouded plastic. Boo. Now, though, it's just cute enough that I might actually wear it. I don't have any more finished products to show you (yet), but here are a few more mock-ups: Trying to decide if black chain and copper go together. Right now I'm thinking no, so I'm looking for a different chain to string the old key and a few baubles on, along with the Alice penny. I've also been playing with those copper letters; you can string a chain or ribbon through them. Oooh, the possibilities... I love this penny (c'mon, seahorse!!), so I've been dragging my feet deciding what to do with it. I like how this old necklace looks like seaweed around it, but I may take off the bottom dangle - it just seems too much. It also kind of looks more like a brooch than a necklace to me. I dunno. What do you guys think? Anyway, I'll keep working, so expect another update sometime in the future! In the meantime, have any of you made smashed coin jewelry? Share your links in the comments, or send me pictures! I'm especially curious to see more bracelets and whether anyone's ever tried making a ring out of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?) ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Doesn't everyone just love a fun souvenir penny? We've taken these tokens and made them into a bangle! Details: -Souvenir Pennies Drilled & Sanded; Clear-Coated -Can Be Customized to Your City or State (If Available) -Wire Wrapped Onto Adjustable Brass Cuff that fits most wrist sizes Please choose a city when ordering. Choose "Custom Request" if you'd like a city that isn't listed or "Send Your Own Penny" to send me your own penny to be made into a bangle. I will try my best to fill every "Custom Request" order, but can't guarantee that each requested penny can be found.
A little bit of luck to take around with you everyday. This penny is lucky--it says so right on it! The penny has been hand stamped and hangs from a sterling silver chain.I'm sorry, but I am unable to accommodate requests for specific years on the pennies. The exact pennies pictured have found homes. The necklace you will receive is made in the same style, but the year on the penny will vary.The pennies are stamped by hand, as such, letter placement will have a whimsical touch. This embodies the charm of a hand stamped piece and is not to be considered a flaw. Letter placement will vary on each pendant. I do have a Be the Change Penny Necklace available in my shop. Please visit my fine print for information on shipping.
When I was a kid I spent a lot of weekends with my Mimmie and Poppa (grandparents). My Mimmie worked in a dry cleaners and it was open on Saturdays. If both Mimmie and Poppa had to work I went to the cleaners. But Mimmie had to be there early in the morning, before
You guys know I can never stay away from penny crafts for long, right? :D So today I give you my latest smashed penny jewelry creation: Ta-da! Smashed pennies in resin! This is one of those crafts that's really easy in theory, but a little more tedious in practice. First I spent a good half hour polishing pennies, since I wanted them nice and shiny in the resin. (There are lots of products you can use, but for the best shine I've found nothing beats Brasso [get the old formula in a metal can] and a nubby wash cloth, followed by a vigorous rub-down with a Magic Eraser for those really stubborn spots.) I've yet to buy another brand of epoxy resin, so I used Easy Cast again for this batch. It seems that by mixing larger batches you're less likely to get the proportions wrong, so happily everything cured just fine this round: I bought these molds on JoAnn's website for about $4 each (link here) - although of course shipping tacks on another five bucks or so. (My bracelet ended up using only six pennies, though, so really you only need one mold.) The pennies sink right to the bottom of the molds, of course, so in the future I might try layering the resin to get them to "float" more in the center. (Although that would make drilling a little trickier.) After a day of curing I popped out the pennies, trimmed the sharp edges off with scissors, and then filed the edges a bit, too, since I knew they'd be rubbing up against my wrist. Pretty, right? They remind me of little paper weights Next came the tricky part: drilling. You'll need a drill press for this, because keeping a perfect 90 degree angle is essential when drilling lengthwise through a narrow piece. (This is my Dremel drill press.) I'm using a small wood block here as a support, both to safeguard my fingers and because the resin has rounded edges, which makes it want to rock a bit. You can see I'm pressing the resin piece against the wood block pretty hard; if you're not careful the drill will make the resin shift down into the gap in the platform, making your hole go off course. I found it helps to drill very slowly, and to kind of pump the handle on the drill press so that you drill in several small stages: If you rush it you're pretty much guaranteed a slip and a wonky drill line, so take your time. Oh, and I just eye-balled the spacing, but you could also measure to make sure your holes are all consistent. The finished pieces. See the small frosted drill lines? Next is the easy part, although funnily enough it took me the longest: stringing the bracelet. I reeeally didn't want to make a stretchy bracelet, but when I couldn't find a good two-cord clasp at any of my local craft stores I caved and bought some clear stretchy cord. Then it took me four or five tries to find the right spacer beads, since I've never made a bracelet like this before and honestly didn't know which kind would look right. The first beads I picked were gorgeous (and matched my wedding band!), but since they weren't round they didn't lay right on my wrist: Plus all you saw were the white sides of the beads, which aren't supposed to show. This is something any jewelry maker would have known, I'm sure, but I guess I like learning things the hard way. ;) Next I tried some chunky clear beads, but they were too big, making the bracelet either way too big with six resin pieces or too tight with only five: So back to the craft store I went, and came back with three more options: Too dark... Too blah... (They're actually lovely shades of copper, but the finish didn't seem right.) ...and finally, my very last choice turned out to be my favorite: The beads are a translucent two-tone with lavender and orange. The orange picks up the pennies, and the lavender makes a nice contrast. Plus the translucence goes great with the clear resin. Now for some better lighting: You can definitely see a slight yellow tinge to the resin here (taken in indirect sunlight, no color correction), but only because it's on a white paper. You can't see it on other colors, or if I'm wearing it: The pennies are from the Magic Kingdom, and most are from Adventureland and Frontierland. (I need to replace the Goofy penny with a Jungle Cruise one, and then I'll have a more complete set.) I believe the yellow tinge is partially a result of the Easy Cast - which I've heard isn't as crystal clear as, say, Ice Resin - but even more so from the pennies themselves reflecting on all the interior edges: For example, you can see that the center resin piece below looks clear, while the sides look yellow: Again, that's the pennies reflecting through the resin. So don't worry too much if you want to use Easy Cast for this project; my guess is other brands will still look a bit yellowish with pennies in them. And finally, here's my attempt at a pin-able pic for my fellow Pinterest users: (I'm not going to tell you how long I spent looking at fonts for this, because I know someone out there is already judging me for picking this one. Is there a word for font anxiety? 'Cuz I haz it. I haz it BAD.) I hope you liked my latest penny craft! And in case you missed them before, you can see some of my other smashed penny jewelry tutorials here and here. Happy weekend, everyone! ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
You guys know I can never stay away from penny crafts for long, right? :D So today I give you my latest smashed penny jewelry creation: Ta-da! Smashed pennies in resin! This is one of those crafts that's really easy in theory, but a little more tedious in practice. First I spent a good half hour polishing pennies, since I wanted them nice and shiny in the resin. (There are lots of products you can use, but for the best shine I've found nothing beats Brasso [get the old formula in a metal can] and a nubby wash cloth, followed by a vigorous rub-down with a Magic Eraser for those really stubborn spots.) I've yet to buy another brand of epoxy resin, so I used Easy Cast again for this batch. It seems that by mixing larger batches you're less likely to get the proportions wrong, so happily everything cured just fine this round: I bought these molds on JoAnn's website for about $4 each (link here) - although of course shipping tacks on another five bucks or so. (My bracelet ended up using only six pennies, though, so really you only need one mold.) The pennies sink right to the bottom of the molds, of course, so in the future I might try layering the resin to get them to "float" more in the center. (Although that would make drilling a little trickier.) After a day of curing I popped out the pennies, trimmed the sharp edges off with scissors, and then filed the edges a bit, too, since I knew they'd be rubbing up against my wrist. Pretty, right? They remind me of little paper weights Next came the tricky part: drilling. You'll need a drill press for this, because keeping a perfect 90 degree angle is essential when drilling lengthwise through a narrow piece. (This is my Dremel drill press.) I'm using a small wood block here as a support, both to safeguard my fingers and because the resin has rounded edges, which makes it want to rock a bit. You can see I'm pressing the resin piece against the wood block pretty hard; if you're not careful the drill will make the resin shift down into the gap in the platform, making your hole go off course. I found it helps to drill very slowly, and to kind of pump the handle on the drill press so that you drill in several small stages: If you rush it you're pretty much guaranteed a slip and a wonky drill line, so take your time. Oh, and I just eye-balled the spacing, but you could also measure to make sure your holes are all consistent. The finished pieces. See the small frosted drill lines? Next is the easy part, although funnily enough it took me the longest: stringing the bracelet. I reeeally didn't want to make a stretchy bracelet, but when I couldn't find a good two-cord clasp at any of my local craft stores I caved and bought some clear stretchy cord. Then it took me four or five tries to find the right spacer beads, since I've never made a bracelet like this before and honestly didn't know which kind would look right. The first beads I picked were gorgeous (and matched my wedding band!), but since they weren't round they didn't lay right on my wrist: Plus all you saw were the white sides of the beads, which aren't supposed to show. This is something any jewelry maker would have known, I'm sure, but I guess I like learning things the hard way. ;) Next I tried some chunky clear beads, but they were too big, making the bracelet either way too big with six resin pieces or too tight with only five: So back to the craft store I went, and came back with three more options: Too dark... Too blah... (They're actually lovely shades of copper, but the finish didn't seem right.) ...and finally, my very last choice turned out to be my favorite: The beads are a translucent two-tone with lavender and orange. The orange picks up the pennies, and the lavender makes a nice contrast. Plus the translucence goes great with the clear resin. Now for some better lighting: You can definitely see a slight yellow tinge to the resin here (taken in indirect sunlight, no color correction), but only because it's on a white paper. You can't see it on other colors, or if I'm wearing it: The pennies are from the Magic Kingdom, and most are from Adventureland and Frontierland. (I need to replace the Goofy penny with a Jungle Cruise one, and then I'll have a more complete set.) I believe the yellow tinge is partially a result of the Easy Cast - which I've heard isn't as crystal clear as, say, Ice Resin - but even more so from the pennies themselves reflecting on all the interior edges: For example, you can see that the center resin piece below looks clear, while the sides look yellow: Again, that's the pennies reflecting through the resin. So don't worry too much if you want to use Easy Cast for this project; my guess is other brands will still look a bit yellowish with pennies in them. And finally, here's my attempt at a pin-able pic for my fellow Pinterest users: (I'm not going to tell you how long I spent looking at fonts for this, because I know someone out there is already judging me for picking this one. Is there a word for font anxiety? 'Cuz I haz it. I haz it BAD.) I hope you liked my latest penny craft! And in case you missed them before, you can see some of my other smashed penny jewelry tutorials here and here. Happy weekend, everyone! ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Last week I showed you some of your fellow readers' crafty creations made using my Epbot tutorials - and now it's time to show off some more! First up, my Harry Potter wand display tutorial: Cynthia O. had her heart set on her very own Ollivander's sign, so lucky for her she has friends like Chrissy & Aaron, who made her an almost exact copy of my own! Woohoo! Check out that hand-painted detail: Simply - dare I say it? - magical. Great job, guys. And speaking of my Ollivander's tutorial, Michelle F. tells me it inspired her to use the same technique to make this Hogwarts crest for her son's room: Awwwwesome. Michelle tells me she actually liked it better without the colors (which is why I included both pics) but her son likes it more colorful, so that's all that matters. But wait, there's one more! Here's Kristi H.'s wand display: I am LOVING that script, and the simpler, rustic design. Rock on, Kristi! All of my penny jewelry posts continue to be pretty popular - and I've already featured some reader creations before - but these pieces by Laura P. knocked my socks CLEAN OFF: So gorgeous! And to be fair, I haven't even made a bracelet like this yet myself; I just talked about it in one of my posts. Laura bent each coin to fit her wrist, drilled all the holes herself, lacquered them twice (after a quick e-mail conference with me on which kind of lacquer to use), and then paired them with those lovely sparkly crystals. That's a Christmas design, of course, and it was her test run before making these pieces with some special souvenir coins from Israel: Don't you just love those shades of blue, teal, and green with the copper? SO PRETTY. Here's the matching necklace: Dang it, now I want to break out my smashed penny stash and make more penny jewelry! (Fun fact: I usually get a few more pennies each month in the mail from you readers, so I'm amassing quite the collection for something EPIC someday. I just have to figure out what. Heh.) While we're on the copper kick, remember my tacky ceramic seahorse make-over? That is, the statue was tacky - hopefully my makeover wasn't. o.0 Well, Maple found a gold ceramic geisha at a thrift store that she decided to give the "Jen-Instant-Metal-and-Rust-Statue-of-Awesomeness" treatment. Ha! Whoah. Isn't she beautiful? Maple calls her "The Lady of Tears and Song," since the patina makes it look like she's crying - and Maple tells me she's perfect for her Asian-inspired decor. Cathy B. used some of my ACEO framing tips for this fabulous Shakespearean Hamster: (I just love typing that: "Shakespearean Hamster.") {UPDATE: Oops. Ok, so it's actually a guineau pig. And Amanda V. found the art here if you'd like your own!] Cathy used clear photo corners to hold it in place over that lovely scripty scrapbook paper. And Carisa W. mounted her ACEO using photo corners and a few gears: I really love this shadowbox look - so many interesting pieces to look at! Plus, Carisa made those glittery designs on the frame herself using a stencil, glue, and glitter. And I am ALWAYS in favor of more glitter. And gears. And if possible, glittery gears. I'll end with the giant ego boost I received from Erika T., courtesy of this picture: This is Erika's living room wall, and those are three of the photos I took during the 24-hour Disney Day. Look at 'em up there, all professional-like!! Aiieee! [Head...swelling...] Erika asked me to make them available as prints so she could do this, so if by some odd chance any of you want one, too, they're over on DeviantArt - which has a great ordering system I've used myself a few times, and the prices are pretty reasonable. (Full disclosure: I get a 15 or 20 percent kickback.) My next Show & Tell post will be all steampunk stuff, since I've got several different versions of your goggles, ray guns, and even medals to show off. Can't wait! (And if you have something you've made that you haven't sent in yet, do eeet! Do eeet NOW!!)
You guys know I can never stay away from penny crafts for long, right? :D So today I give you my latest smashed penny jewelry creation: Ta-da! Smashed pennies in resin! This is one of those crafts that's really easy in theory, but a little more tedious in practice. First I spent a good half hour polishing pennies, since I wanted them nice and shiny in the resin. (There are lots of products you can use, but for the best shine I've found nothing beats Brasso [get the old formula in a metal can] and a nubby wash cloth, followed by a vigorous rub-down with a Magic Eraser for those really stubborn spots.) I've yet to buy another brand of epoxy resin, so I used Easy Cast again for this batch. It seems that by mixing larger batches you're less likely to get the proportions wrong, so happily everything cured just fine this round: I bought these molds on JoAnn's website for about $4 each (link here) - although of course shipping tacks on another five bucks or so. (My bracelet ended up using only six pennies, though, so really you only need one mold.) The pennies sink right to the bottom of the molds, of course, so in the future I might try layering the resin to get them to "float" more in the center. (Although that would make drilling a little trickier.) After a day of curing I popped out the pennies, trimmed the sharp edges off with scissors, and then filed the edges a bit, too, since I knew they'd be rubbing up against my wrist. Pretty, right? They remind me of little paper weights Next came the tricky part: drilling. You'll need a drill press for this, because keeping a perfect 90 degree angle is essential when drilling lengthwise through a narrow piece. (This is my Dremel drill press.) I'm using a small wood block here as a support, both to safeguard my fingers and because the resin has rounded edges, which makes it want to rock a bit. You can see I'm pressing the resin piece against the wood block pretty hard; if you're not careful the drill will make the resin shift down into the gap in the platform, making your hole go off course. I found it helps to drill very slowly, and to kind of pump the handle on the drill press so that you drill in several small stages: If you rush it you're pretty much guaranteed a slip and a wonky drill line, so take your time. Oh, and I just eye-balled the spacing, but you could also measure to make sure your holes are all consistent. The finished pieces. See the small frosted drill lines? Next is the easy part, although funnily enough it took me the longest: stringing the bracelet. I reeeally didn't want to make a stretchy bracelet, but when I couldn't find a good two-cord clasp at any of my local craft stores I caved and bought some clear stretchy cord. Then it took me four or five tries to find the right spacer beads, since I've never made a bracelet like this before and honestly didn't know which kind would look right. The first beads I picked were gorgeous (and matched my wedding band!), but since they weren't round they didn't lay right on my wrist: Plus all you saw were the white sides of the beads, which aren't supposed to show. This is something any jewelry maker would have known, I'm sure, but I guess I like learning things the hard way. ;) Next I tried some chunky clear beads, but they were too big, making the bracelet either way too big with six resin pieces or too tight with only five: So back to the craft store I went, and came back with three more options: Too dark... Too blah... (They're actually lovely shades of copper, but the finish didn't seem right.) ...and finally, my very last choice turned out to be my favorite: The beads are a translucent two-tone with lavender and orange. The orange picks up the pennies, and the lavender makes a nice contrast. Plus the translucence goes great with the clear resin. Now for some better lighting: You can definitely see a slight yellow tinge to the resin here (taken in indirect sunlight, no color correction), but only because it's on a white paper. You can't see it on other colors, or if I'm wearing it: The pennies are from the Magic Kingdom, and most are from Adventureland and Frontierland. (I need to replace the Goofy penny with a Jungle Cruise one, and then I'll have a more complete set.) I believe the yellow tinge is partially a result of the Easy Cast - which I've heard isn't as crystal clear as, say, Ice Resin - but even more so from the pennies themselves reflecting on all the interior edges: For example, you can see that the center resin piece below looks clear, while the sides look yellow: Again, that's the pennies reflecting through the resin. So don't worry too much if you want to use Easy Cast for this project; my guess is other brands will still look a bit yellowish with pennies in them. And finally, here's my attempt at a pin-able pic for my fellow Pinterest users: (I'm not going to tell you how long I spent looking at fonts for this, because I know someone out there is already judging me for picking this one. Is there a word for font anxiety? 'Cuz I haz it. I haz it BAD.) I hope you liked my latest penny craft! And in case you missed them before, you can see some of my other smashed penny jewelry tutorials here and here. Happy weekend, everyone! ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Remember how I told you to gather up all your souvenir smashed pennies back during my trip to Disneyland? Well, I've been working for weeks now on assembling lots of fun options for turning these: Into these: Yes, it's upside down. I was just seeing if you were...uh...paying attention. Yeah. That's it. Intrigued? Want to know how to make these yourself for only a couple of bucks and reused materials you probably already have? Plus see more designs? Then read on, intrepid penny lover! Read on. Ok, first let's start with the easiest method out there. It goes like this: 1) Drill a tiny hole in penny/smashed coin. 2) Insert O ring into hole. 3) Voila! Instant smashed penny charm! I used a smashed dime for this, and added it to a charm bracelet I already had: The dime is just a bit shorter than a smashed penny, so it works well for a bracelet dangle. To drill such a small hole, you really need to get your hands on a Dremel. You'll also need a special attachment for the Dremel to hold the teensy tiny drill bits, which costs about $10. Now, if you're not very comfortable with power tools, don't worry: the Dremel is super easy to use, and will most likely become your gateway drug into bigger and scarier Toys That Make Noise. Trust me. Ok, so just inserting an O ring covers about 90% of the smashed penny jewelry I've seen online. Now let's get to the goodies that let us do more: Thank you, clearance! Both of these were 40% off at JoAnn's. You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame fit a smashed penny perfectly. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'cuz this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!) The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 1) Center penny in frame 2) Glue 3) Voila! A smashed penny charm! I've actually had this penny since I was a JC skipper, so it means a lot to me. In fact, trying to find a way to turn it into a necklace is what led me to these silver scrap booking ovals in the first place. Now it's one of my favorite possessions. If you're going to do a similar design to this, I highly recommend getting a second penny oval and putting the two back to back. (The charm tends to flip over when you wear it.) I just recently added a Tiki Room penny to the back of this necklace. No need for glue; just use the O-rings to hold them together. Now, for the more ornate frame, we have to add a few steps: 1) Using the piece of clear plastic that comes in the frame as a guide, trace the oval onto your penny: You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin. 2) Next, using flat-nosed nippers (see above photo) CAREFULLY snip off the excess metal. Wear safety glasses, please; the little bits of metal tend to go flying like stubborn toenails. Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway. You know what I mean. 3) Ok, next, carefully pry off the back of the metal frame with a screwdriver: The back has both glue and small metal posts holding it in place. Try not to break off the posts, if possible. (Although don't sweat it if you do.) 4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't. That's ok. Next use your nippers to remove any bumps or slivers keeping the penny from sitting flush in the frame. (If you have a metal file on hand, you can use that, too.) This will take a while. Don't rush it, though, because you want a tight, perfect fit: 5) When you're happy with the fit, dab small dots of super glue (or Gorilla glue, which I like a bit better) on the back seam. Spread the glue with a toothpick, checking to make sure it's not visible from the front. 6) Finally, glue and snap the back piece back on, and then admire your handiwork: Then comes the really fun part: go raid your jewelry box. Odds are, you have some bits or beads or chains that you can add your new charm to. I found some pretty peach beads that I wanted to use, and then went to town combining them with old chains scavenged from necklaces I never wear: The penny necklace is separate so that I can also wear it on its own, but all the other chains are combined onto a single clasp. I like the ribbon bow on the side, but I need to find a better one; this one kept unraveling. (And in case you're wondering, yes, this is the famous ribbon that Tonks swallowed. Grr.) Next, I wanted to make a leather cuff bracelet. After scrounging and searching the craft store for the right leather, it finally dawned on me that I could just use an old belt. I still have a stash of thrift-store belts left over from my book-purse making days, so I found a plain brown one and snipped it up: This is one of the larger scrapbooking ovals. I have a hunch a smashed quarter might fit in it, so I'm saving this piece until I'm out at the parks next to snag one. As you can see, the frame's holes line up perfectly with the belt notches - a nice bonus, since that means no drilling to get the brads through. I'll add more brads to the two remaining holes for decoration. And speaking of which, here are the brads: Also 40% off, uhthankyouverramuch. The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, the scrapbooking aisle is fantastic for hunting jewelry supplies.) So, to make the penny bracelet, you'll need another piece of belt - no holes - that's long enough to fit your wrist with about a one-inch overlap. Use a snap kit (available at any craft store) to hammer on a snap closure - or you can use Velcro or magnets or toggle buttons or any other snappy solution your crafty little heart desires. Ok, now this is important: Before you glue your penny into the frame, you're going to need to bend both it and the penny slightly to fit the curve of your wrist: Both the frame and penny are pretty thin, so you may be able to bend them using just your hands. (I needed John's help.) Try pressing them over a soup can to get a nice, even curve. When the penny and frame are both bent to your liking, glue the penny in: Now to attach the frame to your cuff, you'll need to drill two holes in the leather. The Dremel will work for this, too, but you'll need a larger drill bit. Once your holes are drilled, insert the metal brads through the frame & leather and bend them open on the backside: This is quite tight, but you can also add a dollop of super glue over the brads for extra security. Because the ends are bent down into the leather/vinyl, though, you won't have to worry about them scratching your arm. Tada! If you're feeling industrious, there's actually enough room on this cuff to add two more penny frames on either side. Personally I like it with just the one, but feel free to experiment and see what looks good to you. Oh, and here's something I should have mentioned at the beginning but forgot to so I'll just cram it in here: Before you go gluing your pennies into frames, decide if you want them polished or not. If so, then you'll need to both polish and clear-coat them ahead of time. I use a simple brass polish, and then a spray lacquer. If you like the patina of your penny as-is, though, then never mind. Glue at will! The two pennies on the left are polished, and the one on the right is not. See all the color variations? The one in the middle almost looks like brass! Experiment with different ages of pennies and polishes to get the look you want. (Older pennies have a different metal content, and so look different than the new ones. They're also copper all the way through, whereas newer pennies will show a silver core when drilled into.) Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny... That's how. :D And finally, here are some more options for penny jewelry that don't use frames at all; just lots of drilling: I originally intended to link this penny into a chain on either end, but I haven't found a chain I like for it yet. As you can see, you can still string it on a necklace using O-rings this way, but it does look a bit odd up close. The options with dangling beads from the penny are limitless, though: any tiny crystal or bead will work, and you can add just one accent dangle or ring the entire bottom with them. Here I started with an existing necklace and added to it: The colored beads used to be a child's stretchy bracelet I bought for a few dollars eons ago and then never wore. I figured I'd try making my own dangle beads with them, to go along with the Dumbo penny and silver necklace. Here's the finished product: To be honest, I may end up taking the Dumbo charm off and wearing it solo. I like the bead dangle on it, but I'm not sure about the copper against all that silver. I do like the colored beads with the circles, though, so worst case scenario I just get two necklaces out of this. :) Here are a few more mock-ups I've been working on: I've spent almost every night for a week happily puttering about with all these bits and pieces and old necklaces and beads and such on the dining room table. It looks like a war zone, but fun! Also, ladies, this is why you never - EVER - throw old jewelry away. I mean it. If a chain snaps, a bead falls off, etc., grab a Ziploc baggy and *save it.* Here's the final product for the other Tinkerbell penny: I bought this pirate ship necklace on some cool Indy site, but it turned out to be cheap, clouded plastic. Boo. Now, though, it's just cute enough that I might actually wear it. I don't have any more finished products to show you (yet), but here are a few more mock-ups: Trying to decide if black chain and copper go together. Right now I'm thinking no, so I'm looking for a different chain to string the old key and a few baubles on, along with the Alice penny. I've also been playing with those copper letters; you can string a chain or ribbon through them. Oooh, the possibilities... I love this penny (c'mon, seahorse!!), so I've been dragging my feet deciding what to do with it. I like how this old necklace looks like seaweed around it, but I may take off the bottom dangle - it just seems too much. It also kind of looks more like a brooch than a necklace to me. I dunno. What do you guys think? Anyway, I'll keep working, so expect another update sometime in the future! In the meantime, have any of you made smashed coin jewelry? Share your links in the comments, or send me pictures! I'm especially curious to see more bracelets and whether anyone's ever tried making a ring out of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?) ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Smashed Pennies are not only the cheapest souvenirs you can get while on vacation, but their fun to collect and easy to carry.
Pressed penny machines are everywhere. We see them at the zoo, aquarium, science center, children’s museum, and even sometimes the grocery store in little touristy towns. My kids have collected them for years. I came across my daughter collection about 6 months ago and as I looked through them memories flooded back to me. The day we went to the Trees of Mystery on our CA trip last Spring… the day we went to the Space Needle… the day she first saw the octopus move at the Pt Defiance Zoo… those memories were there in pressed copper glory. I just had to find something to make with these things that would be as beautiful as those memories. I made this pressed penny charm bracelet along with my friend Jessica (who makes beautiful jewelry) on our mamas weekend away. I punched a hole in each penny with a metal awl and then we put tiny rings through and connected them to a copper bracelet. What we used: 10 pressed pennies 1 copper chain bracelet with clasp 10 copper jewelry rings metal awl hammer large piece of flat wood jewelry file two pair jewelry plyers How to do it: First I punched the holes in the top of the pennies with the metal awl on the piece of wood. I had to make sure the hole was big enough for the rings we chose, but once I had the size down it went really quickly. Then I used the hammer and file to make sure there were no sharp edges on the back side of the penny. Then Jessica and I laid out the bracelet in the order we wanted the pennies to go and set them up to go evenly across the chain. Very carefully, bending the rings sideways (how-to and reasons behind that tip) we slid the rings on to the pennies and then onto the chain and closed the rings up. Jessica shortened the chain for Cyan’s wrist and we were done! It did take me buying an awl and Jessica’s jewelry tools, but it was a super simple project in the end! And now all of those amazing memories can be showcased right on her wrist!
Zakka Life is a craft and lifestyle blog which is updated weekly featuring craft projects, printables, Japanese craft books and design.
Use your favorite souvenir smashed penny to make this fun smashed penny bracelet in just a few minutes!
This listing is for one flattened, smashed penny charm with a compass hand stamped into the coin. Each coin charm will be one of a kind. Shapes and colors will vary, but I do my best to make sure each piece is beautiful. ***please note, jump rings are not automatically included. If you need a jump ring, please let me know. I can include one for each charm for you. However, if you do not ask, no jump rings will be included. Thank you*** These rustic weathered pennies make a great necklace or a meaningful lucky penny keychain. Perfect gift for the traveler in your life. Need a bunch? Contact me for a bulk listing.
It's been a fun (sometimes frustrating) week! A friend bought several vials of enamels a few weeks back and now she was ready to experience torch firing. She wanted me to show her how to do it. My background with enameling has been VERY limited, but since I knew something, I was willing to share. Years ago I took a class with Suzanne Kustner, a great teacher and artist, at Creative Arts in Sierra Madre, CA. We used the enameling kiln in that class. Then not too long ago I had a jewelry class that included a wild torch firing session with Richard Salley. He had his own way of firing enamels, following his own rules, and it worked! The first step in our week was to cut out copper pieces to use, limiting the size to an inch or so. This included filing, drilling holes, doming, cleaning -- that took care of the first day! But then it was time to start. I demonstrated how to apply the Klyr Fire, sprinkle on the first coat of enamel, then torch fire it. Here's a photo of my friend's pieces (she started off firing two pieces at a time!) with the funky set-up using a steel binding wire holder we made in Richard Salley's class. It works. So after I demo'ed my first piece and it had been taken out of the pickle pot, I was explaining the process of always filing the edge of the piece clean before the next firing. I was standing there, filing, when I dropped my piece on the cement floor and, guess what, a piece of the enamel chipped off. ##@*!! I couldn't believe it. But I calmly sat and reapplied the second coat, adding a little more to the broken area. Then minutes later after I had refired the piece, I was standing in the same exact spot filing my piece, when, guess what? YES, I dropped it again and another piece of enamel chipped off. My cocktail hour almost started early that day, but since I was the Teacher, I was not going to give up or have a temper tantrum! My day continued in the same way -- nothing worked. However, my friend had an absolutely wonderful day! Here are the pieces she made -- WOW! I took the next day off. Am happy to say I worked several hours yesterday experimenting again. This time I had no accidents. In fact I refired THAT piece again and it's one of the two bright ones on the top right. It was originally all red. I was experimenting with browns in the other pieces and like the results. Then I wanted to try find something that looked like turquoise. Years ago I made two bracelets using copper pennies that were dated before 1982. These were 95% copper (the later ones are 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating). The top bracelet has domed pennies soldered to flat textured sterling silver pieces. The bottom bracelet has domed pennies soldered to flat pennies. I learned that the 95% copper pennies can also be enameled. So .... in addition to the copper pieces that were cut at the beginning of the week, I also drilled, domed and cleaned pennies. Here are pennies with tests of different colors. The backs are not enameled. Notice the penny in the middle -- it cracked when being domed. It sure was fun, and I think there will be more to share next week!
Smashed Pennies are not only the cheapest souvenirs you can get while on vacation, but their fun to collect and easy to carry.
You guys know I can never stay away from penny crafts for long, right? :D So today I give you my latest smashed penny jewelry creation: Ta-da! Smashed pennies in resin! This is one of those crafts that's really easy in theory, but a little more tedious in practice. First I spent a good half hour polishing pennies, since I wanted them nice and shiny in the resin. (There are lots of products you can use, but for the best shine I've found nothing beats Brasso [get the old formula in a metal can] and a nubby wash cloth, followed by a vigorous rub-down with a Magic Eraser for those really stubborn spots.) I've yet to buy another brand of epoxy resin, so I used Easy Cast again for this batch. It seems that by mixing larger batches you're less likely to get the proportions wrong, so happily everything cured just fine this round: I bought these molds on JoAnn's website for about $4 each (link here) - although of course shipping tacks on another five bucks or so. (My bracelet ended up using only six pennies, though, so really you only need one mold.) The pennies sink right to the bottom of the molds, of course, so in the future I might try layering the resin to get them to "float" more in the center. (Although that would make drilling a little trickier.) After a day of curing I popped out the pennies, trimmed the sharp edges off with scissors, and then filed the edges a bit, too, since I knew they'd be rubbing up against my wrist. Pretty, right? They remind me of little paper weights Next came the tricky part: drilling. You'll need a drill press for this, because keeping a perfect 90 degree angle is essential when drilling lengthwise through a narrow piece. (This is my Dremel drill press.) I'm using a small wood block here as a support, both to safeguard my fingers and because the resin has rounded edges, which makes it want to rock a bit. You can see I'm pressing the resin piece against the wood block pretty hard; if you're not careful the drill will make the resin shift down into the gap in the platform, making your hole go off course. I found it helps to drill very slowly, and to kind of pump the handle on the drill press so that you drill in several small stages: If you rush it you're pretty much guaranteed a slip and a wonky drill line, so take your time. Oh, and I just eye-balled the spacing, but you could also measure to make sure your holes are all consistent. The finished pieces. See the small frosted drill lines? Next is the easy part, although funnily enough it took me the longest: stringing the bracelet. I reeeally didn't want to make a stretchy bracelet, but when I couldn't find a good two-cord clasp at any of my local craft stores I caved and bought some clear stretchy cord. Then it took me four or five tries to find the right spacer beads, since I've never made a bracelet like this before and honestly didn't know which kind would look right. The first beads I picked were gorgeous (and matched my wedding band!), but since they weren't round they didn't lay right on my wrist: Plus all you saw were the white sides of the beads, which aren't supposed to show. This is something any jewelry maker would have known, I'm sure, but I guess I like learning things the hard way. ;) Next I tried some chunky clear beads, but they were too big, making the bracelet either way too big with six resin pieces or too tight with only five: So back to the craft store I went, and came back with three more options: Too dark... Too blah... (They're actually lovely shades of copper, but the finish didn't seem right.) ...and finally, my very last choice turned out to be my favorite: The beads are a translucent two-tone with lavender and orange. The orange picks up the pennies, and the lavender makes a nice contrast. Plus the translucence goes great with the clear resin. Now for some better lighting: You can definitely see a slight yellow tinge to the resin here (taken in indirect sunlight, no color correction), but only because it's on a white paper. You can't see it on other colors, or if I'm wearing it: The pennies are from the Magic Kingdom, and most are from Adventureland and Frontierland. (I need to replace the Goofy penny with a Jungle Cruise one, and then I'll have a more complete set.) I believe the yellow tinge is partially a result of the Easy Cast - which I've heard isn't as crystal clear as, say, Ice Resin - but even more so from the pennies themselves reflecting on all the interior edges: For example, you can see that the center resin piece below looks clear, while the sides look yellow: Again, that's the pennies reflecting through the resin. So don't worry too much if you want to use Easy Cast for this project; my guess is other brands will still look a bit yellowish with pennies in them. And finally, here's my attempt at a pin-able pic for my fellow Pinterest users: (I'm not going to tell you how long I spent looking at fonts for this, because I know someone out there is already judging me for picking this one. Is there a word for font anxiety? 'Cuz I haz it. I haz it BAD.) I hope you liked my latest penny craft! And in case you missed them before, you can see some of my other smashed penny jewelry tutorials here and here. Happy weekend, everyone! ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
20mm copper penny upcycled into original buttons.
We love to get smashed pennies from all the fun places we visit. Its a great souvenir if you don't want to spend a lot, or junk...
Girlapalooza souvenir pennies
If you're looking for a project to really sink your teeth into, these penny creations are awesome and they won't cost the earth either! Open up your piggy bank and take a look down the back of the couch for all the pennies you can find and take inspiration from these 21 DIY projects. Take a look here!
Ok, clearly I have a thing for pennies. The good news is I'm not the only one; many of you readers are catching the one-cent spirit, too! Just look at some of the amazing jewelry ideas you've been sending in: Epbot reader SJ helps lead Girlscout troop #1287 in Kentucky. Inspired by my smashed penny tutorial, she had all the girls get their own pennies during a field trip to the Cincinnati Zoo - and then they turned their smooshed souvenirs into rockin' penny pins! Here's the whole troop, proudly wearing their pins: If you click on the photo to see the large version, you'll see how each girl's pin is slightly different. I love the designs, and the dangling chains and beads! Amy D. made this gorgeous bracelet: Shades of blue and teal look *amazing* with the copper, don't you think? And Sonya G. used a fabulous chunky chain for hers: Jessica M. incorporated her dinosaur penny into this fun dino-themed charm bracelet: Note the little frame with the word "Rawr" in it. :D Rachel S. found this next example over at FusionBeads: I'm loving how the pennies are bent slightly to fit the curve of your wrist, and the little bead clusters make it surprisingly elegant. I may have to try this! And finally, some of you are *also* acquiring (and happily pounding away on) your own doming blocks. [wiping away tear] And I am SO PROUD. [sniff] Emily M. made this perfectly patinated pair of wheat penny earrings: [Correction: Emily's husband made these for her. Go, hubby!] And over at Land Pirate Designs there are a couple of different penny designs. This is my favorite: (Thanks for the link, Allison E!) I've actually tried making a design similar to this, but I hit a few roadblocks. For one thing, drilling the holes at the right angle on the curved surface is pretty difficult with my Dremel, and you have to drill a *lot* of holes. (You can't drill before doming the coin, because the doming process distorts the holes. I learned that the hard way, too.) So now I'm thinking I need a drill press. Sorry, John. :D So, have you guys made any penny jewelry of your own? Share your links in the comments; I'm always looking for more inspiration! Oh, and if you're in the market for a doming block, go to Harbor Freight Tools. This set (the one I got): ...is only $39.99 there. Suh-WEET! (I don't think you'll find a better price anywhere than that.) I also found this set over on Amazon for less than $50, but it doesn't look nearly as nice.
Remember how I told you to gather up all your souvenir smashed pennies back during my trip to Disneyland? Well, I've been working for weeks now on assembling lots of fun options for turning these: Into these: Yes, it's upside down. I was just seeing if you were...uh...paying attention. Yeah. That's it. Intrigued? Want to know how to make these yourself for only a couple of bucks and reused materials you probably already have? Plus see more designs? Then read on, intrepid penny lover! Read on. Ok, first let's start with the easiest method out there. It goes like this: 1) Drill a tiny hole in penny/smashed coin. 2) Insert O ring into hole. 3) Voila! Instant smashed penny charm! I used a smashed dime for this, and added it to a charm bracelet I already had: The dime is just a bit shorter than a smashed penny, so it works well for a bracelet dangle. To drill such a small hole, you really need to get your hands on a Dremel. You'll also need a special attachment for the Dremel to hold the teensy tiny drill bits, which costs about $10. Now, if you're not very comfortable with power tools, don't worry: the Dremel is super easy to use, and will most likely become your gateway drug into bigger and scarier Toys That Make Noise. Trust me. Ok, so just inserting an O ring covers about 90% of the smashed penny jewelry I've seen online. Now let's get to the goodies that let us do more: Thank you, clearance! Both of these were 40% off at JoAnn's. You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame fit a smashed penny perfectly. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'cuz this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!) The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 1) Center penny in frame 2) Glue 3) Voila! A smashed penny charm! I've actually had this penny since I was a JC skipper, so it means a lot to me. In fact, trying to find a way to turn it into a necklace is what led me to these silver scrap booking ovals in the first place. Now it's one of my favorite possessions. If you're going to do a similar design to this, I highly recommend getting a second penny oval and putting the two back to back. (The charm tends to flip over when you wear it.) I just recently added a Tiki Room penny to the back of this necklace. No need for glue; just use the O-rings to hold them together. Now, for the more ornate frame, we have to add a few steps: 1) Using the piece of clear plastic that comes in the frame as a guide, trace the oval onto your penny: You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin. 2) Next, using flat-nosed nippers (see above photo) CAREFULLY snip off the excess metal. Wear safety glasses, please; the little bits of metal tend to go flying like stubborn toenails. Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway. You know what I mean. 3) Ok, next, carefully pry off the back of the metal frame with a screwdriver: The back has both glue and small metal posts holding it in place. Try not to break off the posts, if possible. (Although don't sweat it if you do.) 4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't. That's ok. Next use your nippers to remove any bumps or slivers keeping the penny from sitting flush in the frame. (If you have a metal file on hand, you can use that, too.) This will take a while. Don't rush it, though, because you want a tight, perfect fit: 5) When you're happy with the fit, dab small dots of super glue (or Gorilla glue, which I like a bit better) on the back seam. Spread the glue with a toothpick, checking to make sure it's not visible from the front. 6) Finally, glue and snap the back piece back on, and then admire your handiwork: Then comes the really fun part: go raid your jewelry box. Odds are, you have some bits or beads or chains that you can add your new charm to. I found some pretty peach beads that I wanted to use, and then went to town combining them with old chains scavenged from necklaces I never wear: The penny necklace is separate so that I can also wear it on its own, but all the other chains are combined onto a single clasp. I like the ribbon bow on the side, but I need to find a better one; this one kept unraveling. (And in case you're wondering, yes, this is the famous ribbon that Tonks swallowed. Grr.) Next, I wanted to make a leather cuff bracelet. After scrounging and searching the craft store for the right leather, it finally dawned on me that I could just use an old belt. I still have a stash of thrift-store belts left over from my book-purse making days, so I found a plain brown one and snipped it up: This is one of the larger scrapbooking ovals. I have a hunch a smashed quarter might fit in it, so I'm saving this piece until I'm out at the parks next to snag one. As you can see, the frame's holes line up perfectly with the belt notches - a nice bonus, since that means no drilling to get the brads through. I'll add more brads to the two remaining holes for decoration. And speaking of which, here are the brads: Also 40% off, uhthankyouverramuch. The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, the scrapbooking aisle is fantastic for hunting jewelry supplies.) So, to make the penny bracelet, you'll need another piece of belt - no holes - that's long enough to fit your wrist with about a one-inch overlap. Use a snap kit (available at any craft store) to hammer on a snap closure - or you can use Velcro or magnets or toggle buttons or any other snappy solution your crafty little heart desires. Ok, now this is important: Before you glue your penny into the frame, you're going to need to bend both it and the penny slightly to fit the curve of your wrist: Both the frame and penny are pretty thin, so you may be able to bend them using just your hands. (I needed John's help.) Try pressing them over a soup can to get a nice, even curve. When the penny and frame are both bent to your liking, glue the penny in: Now to attach the frame to your cuff, you'll need to drill two holes in the leather. The Dremel will work for this, too, but you'll need a larger drill bit. Once your holes are drilled, insert the metal brads through the frame & leather and bend them open on the backside: This is quite tight, but you can also add a dollop of super glue over the brads for extra security. Because the ends are bent down into the leather/vinyl, though, you won't have to worry about them scratching your arm. Tada! If you're feeling industrious, there's actually enough room on this cuff to add two more penny frames on either side. Personally I like it with just the one, but feel free to experiment and see what looks good to you. Oh, and here's something I should have mentioned at the beginning but forgot to so I'll just cram it in here: Before you go gluing your pennies into frames, decide if you want them polished or not. If so, then you'll need to both polish and clear-coat them ahead of time. I use a simple brass polish, and then a spray lacquer. If you like the patina of your penny as-is, though, then never mind. Glue at will! The two pennies on the left are polished, and the one on the right is not. See all the color variations? The one in the middle almost looks like brass! Experiment with different ages of pennies and polishes to get the look you want. (Older pennies have a different metal content, and so look different than the new ones. They're also copper all the way through, whereas newer pennies will show a silver core when drilled into.) Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny... That's how. :D And finally, here are some more options for penny jewelry that don't use frames at all; just lots of drilling: I originally intended to link this penny into a chain on either end, but I haven't found a chain I like for it yet. As you can see, you can still string it on a necklace using O-rings this way, but it does look a bit odd up close. The options with dangling beads from the penny are limitless, though: any tiny crystal or bead will work, and you can add just one accent dangle or ring the entire bottom with them. Here I started with an existing necklace and added to it: The colored beads used to be a child's stretchy bracelet I bought for a few dollars eons ago and then never wore. I figured I'd try making my own dangle beads with them, to go along with the Dumbo penny and silver necklace. Here's the finished product: To be honest, I may end up taking the Dumbo charm off and wearing it solo. I like the bead dangle on it, but I'm not sure about the copper against all that silver. I do like the colored beads with the circles, though, so worst case scenario I just get two necklaces out of this. :) Here are a few more mock-ups I've been working on: I've spent almost every night for a week happily puttering about with all these bits and pieces and old necklaces and beads and such on the dining room table. It looks like a war zone, but fun! Also, ladies, this is why you never - EVER - throw old jewelry away. I mean it. If a chain snaps, a bead falls off, etc., grab a Ziploc baggy and *save it.* Here's the final product for the other Tinkerbell penny: I bought this pirate ship necklace on some cool Indy site, but it turned out to be cheap, clouded plastic. Boo. Now, though, it's just cute enough that I might actually wear it. I don't have any more finished products to show you (yet), but here are a few more mock-ups: Trying to decide if black chain and copper go together. Right now I'm thinking no, so I'm looking for a different chain to string the old key and a few baubles on, along with the Alice penny. I've also been playing with those copper letters; you can string a chain or ribbon through them. Oooh, the possibilities... I love this penny (c'mon, seahorse!!), so I've been dragging my feet deciding what to do with it. I like how this old necklace looks like seaweed around it, but I may take off the bottom dangle - it just seems too much. It also kind of looks more like a brooch than a necklace to me. I dunno. What do you guys think? Anyway, I'll keep working, so expect another update sometime in the future! In the meantime, have any of you made smashed coin jewelry? Share your links in the comments, or send me pictures! I'm especially curious to see more bracelets and whether anyone's ever tried making a ring out of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?) ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
You can make a fun, personalized, and unique Disney souvenir in just five easy steps.
Remember how I told you to gather up all your souvenir smashed pennies back during my trip to Disneyland? Well, I've been working for weeks now on assembling lots of fun options for turning these: Into these: Yes, it's upside down. I was just seeing if you were...uh...paying attention. Yeah. That's it. Intrigued? Want to know how to make these yourself for only a couple of bucks and reused materials you probably already have? Plus see more designs? Then read on, intrepid penny lover! Read on. Ok, first let's start with the easiest method out there. It goes like this: 1) Drill a tiny hole in penny/smashed coin. 2) Insert O ring into hole. 3) Voila! Instant smashed penny charm! I used a smashed dime for this, and added it to a charm bracelet I already had: The dime is just a bit shorter than a smashed penny, so it works well for a bracelet dangle. To drill such a small hole, you really need to get your hands on a Dremel. You'll also need a special attachment for the Dremel to hold the teensy tiny drill bits, which costs about $10. Now, if you're not very comfortable with power tools, don't worry: the Dremel is super easy to use, and will most likely become your gateway drug into bigger and scarier Toys That Make Noise. Trust me. Ok, so just inserting an O ring covers about 90% of the smashed penny jewelry I've seen online. Now let's get to the goodies that let us do more: Thank you, clearance! Both of these were 40% off at JoAnn's. You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame fit a smashed penny perfectly. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'cuz this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!) The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 1) Center penny in frame 2) Glue 3) Voila! A smashed penny charm! I've actually had this penny since I was a JC skipper, so it means a lot to me. In fact, trying to find a way to turn it into a necklace is what led me to these silver scrap booking ovals in the first place. Now it's one of my favorite possessions. If you're going to do a similar design to this, I highly recommend getting a second penny oval and putting the two back to back. (The charm tends to flip over when you wear it.) I just recently added a Tiki Room penny to the back of this necklace. No need for glue; just use the O-rings to hold them together. Now, for the more ornate frame, we have to add a few steps: 1) Using the piece of clear plastic that comes in the frame as a guide, trace the oval onto your penny: You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin. 2) Next, using flat-nosed nippers (see above photo) CAREFULLY snip off the excess metal. Wear safety glasses, please; the little bits of metal tend to go flying like stubborn toenails. Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway. You know what I mean. 3) Ok, next, carefully pry off the back of the metal frame with a screwdriver: The back has both glue and small metal posts holding it in place. Try not to break off the posts, if possible. (Although don't sweat it if you do.) 4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't. That's ok. Next use your nippers to remove any bumps or slivers keeping the penny from sitting flush in the frame. (If you have a metal file on hand, you can use that, too.) This will take a while. Don't rush it, though, because you want a tight, perfect fit: 5) When you're happy with the fit, dab small dots of super glue (or Gorilla glue, which I like a bit better) on the back seam. Spread the glue with a toothpick, checking to make sure it's not visible from the front. 6) Finally, glue and snap the back piece back on, and then admire your handiwork: Then comes the really fun part: go raid your jewelry box. Odds are, you have some bits or beads or chains that you can add your new charm to. I found some pretty peach beads that I wanted to use, and then went to town combining them with old chains scavenged from necklaces I never wear: The penny necklace is separate so that I can also wear it on its own, but all the other chains are combined onto a single clasp. I like the ribbon bow on the side, but I need to find a better one; this one kept unraveling. (And in case you're wondering, yes, this is the famous ribbon that Tonks swallowed. Grr.) Next, I wanted to make a leather cuff bracelet. After scrounging and searching the craft store for the right leather, it finally dawned on me that I could just use an old belt. I still have a stash of thrift-store belts left over from my book-purse making days, so I found a plain brown one and snipped it up: This is one of the larger scrapbooking ovals. I have a hunch a smashed quarter might fit in it, so I'm saving this piece until I'm out at the parks next to snag one. As you can see, the frame's holes line up perfectly with the belt notches - a nice bonus, since that means no drilling to get the brads through. I'll add more brads to the two remaining holes for decoration. And speaking of which, here are the brads: Also 40% off, uhthankyouverramuch. The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, the scrapbooking aisle is fantastic for hunting jewelry supplies.) So, to make the penny bracelet, you'll need another piece of belt - no holes - that's long enough to fit your wrist with about a one-inch overlap. Use a snap kit (available at any craft store) to hammer on a snap closure - or you can use Velcro or magnets or toggle buttons or any other snappy solution your crafty little heart desires. Ok, now this is important: Before you glue your penny into the frame, you're going to need to bend both it and the penny slightly to fit the curve of your wrist: Both the frame and penny are pretty thin, so you may be able to bend them using just your hands. (I needed John's help.) Try pressing them over a soup can to get a nice, even curve. When the penny and frame are both bent to your liking, glue the penny in: Now to attach the frame to your cuff, you'll need to drill two holes in the leather. The Dremel will work for this, too, but you'll need a larger drill bit. Once your holes are drilled, insert the metal brads through the frame & leather and bend them open on the backside: This is quite tight, but you can also add a dollop of super glue over the brads for extra security. Because the ends are bent down into the leather/vinyl, though, you won't have to worry about them scratching your arm. Tada! If you're feeling industrious, there's actually enough room on this cuff to add two more penny frames on either side. Personally I like it with just the one, but feel free to experiment and see what looks good to you. Oh, and here's something I should have mentioned at the beginning but forgot to so I'll just cram it in here: Before you go gluing your pennies into frames, decide if you want them polished or not. If so, then you'll need to both polish and clear-coat them ahead of time. I use a simple brass polish, and then a spray lacquer. If you like the patina of your penny as-is, though, then never mind. Glue at will! The two pennies on the left are polished, and the one on the right is not. See all the color variations? The one in the middle almost looks like brass! Experiment with different ages of pennies and polishes to get the look you want. (Older pennies have a different metal content, and so look different than the new ones. They're also copper all the way through, whereas newer pennies will show a silver core when drilled into.) Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny... That's how. :D And finally, here are some more options for penny jewelry that don't use frames at all; just lots of drilling: I originally intended to link this penny into a chain on either end, but I haven't found a chain I like for it yet. As you can see, you can still string it on a necklace using O-rings this way, but it does look a bit odd up close. The options with dangling beads from the penny are limitless, though: any tiny crystal or bead will work, and you can add just one accent dangle or ring the entire bottom with them. Here I started with an existing necklace and added to it: The colored beads used to be a child's stretchy bracelet I bought for a few dollars eons ago and then never wore. I figured I'd try making my own dangle beads with them, to go along with the Dumbo penny and silver necklace. Here's the finished product: To be honest, I may end up taking the Dumbo charm off and wearing it solo. I like the bead dangle on it, but I'm not sure about the copper against all that silver. I do like the colored beads with the circles, though, so worst case scenario I just get two necklaces out of this. :) Here are a few more mock-ups I've been working on: I've spent almost every night for a week happily puttering about with all these bits and pieces and old necklaces and beads and such on the dining room table. It looks like a war zone, but fun! Also, ladies, this is why you never - EVER - throw old jewelry away. I mean it. If a chain snaps, a bead falls off, etc., grab a Ziploc baggy and *save it.* Here's the final product for the other Tinkerbell penny: I bought this pirate ship necklace on some cool Indy site, but it turned out to be cheap, clouded plastic. Boo. Now, though, it's just cute enough that I might actually wear it. I don't have any more finished products to show you (yet), but here are a few more mock-ups: Trying to decide if black chain and copper go together. Right now I'm thinking no, so I'm looking for a different chain to string the old key and a few baubles on, along with the Alice penny. I've also been playing with those copper letters; you can string a chain or ribbon through them. Oooh, the possibilities... I love this penny (c'mon, seahorse!!), so I've been dragging my feet deciding what to do with it. I like how this old necklace looks like seaweed around it, but I may take off the bottom dangle - it just seems too much. It also kind of looks more like a brooch than a necklace to me. I dunno. What do you guys think? Anyway, I'll keep working, so expect another update sometime in the future! In the meantime, have any of you made smashed coin jewelry? Share your links in the comments, or send me pictures! I'm especially curious to see more bracelets and whether anyone's ever tried making a ring out of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?) ***** Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
Rated 5 stars on Etsy "Perfect gift for my husband to celebrate our anniversary. Quality is great and was shipped out very quickly" -Loudres Aiello 2010 penny keychains, Anniversary Gift for Couples, Birthday Gift, etc. Perfect gift for couples 12 year anniversary, or Best Friends Gift Packaged on a cards with saying "What a Lucky Year!" Metal: US Penny, copper coin Hand Made Item, Engraved, Net Weight: About 20 g. Two 2010 penny keychains with an engraved heart around the year. These are great gifts for you and your significant other! The cards they come on say "What a Lucky Year!" If purchasing with customization please note the following: I don't have a "plus" sign stamp, so if you leave a note with a "+" between the initials, I will stamp it with a "&". And all dashes (-) and slashes (/) will be stamped with a dot (·) centered from top to bottom. I also don't have any lower case letters. So they will be stamped upper case like it is shown in the photo. And if needed, for space when stamping the date to the left of the heart around the year I will remove the place holding zeros before the month and day. The backside of the penny cannot be stamped. When I stamp on one side the other side gets a little bit smashed and the letters push through a little bit to the other side creating bumps. Also the image on the backside of the penny is flipped so the image on the backside of the penny hangs upside down on the keyring. Because of these reasons I don’t stamp on the backside of the penny. Pennies are made of copper and will age naturally over time to an antique color.