fit a smashed penny perfectly

cuz

1) Center penny in frame



2) Glue



3) Voila! A smashed penny charm!





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:







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:







You'll need a fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker to trace onto the coin.Sorry - I was just distracted by a mental image of angry toenails with wings. Um. Anyway.know what I mean. 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.)



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:







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:



I've actually had this penny since I was askipper, 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, Irecommend 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 aRoom 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:4) Now see if your penny fits in the frame. Odds are, it won't.That'sNext 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 thefun 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:

is

Tonks

Grr

scrapbooking

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.) 40% off,The package has brads in white, gold, silver, and bronze. (And in case you hadn't figured it out by now, theaisle isfor hunting jewelry supplies.)

other

Ok

Dremel

Tada !

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.)

possibilities... 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

seahorse!!

you

ring

*****





Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!

You will be delighted to know that both the smaller ovals and the more ornate frame. Yep. Commence rejoicing, craft geeks, 'this is where the fun starts!! (Plus, no drilling required!)The easiest method uses the plain oval frame: 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, thisthe famous ribbon thatswallowed..)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 largerovals. 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: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 anysnappy solution your crafty little heart desires., 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. Thewill 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. 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!Oh, and if you're wondering how I got the green "enamel" on that shamrock penny...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: I love this penny (c'mon,), 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 ofmade 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 aout of a smashed coin before. (Am I inspiring anyone yet? Hmm?)