Simply Smashing Penny Jewelry

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?)

*****

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