Home About Press Crafts Recipes

Monday, October 29, 2007

Penny Charms

Well it's a little late, but here's the craft of the week, penny charms! I'm sure you've seen these penny machines along your travels, mainly in tourist attraction areas. You put your penny into the machine and it flattens it with an embossed image of the place you visited. But what do you do with all those flattened pennies? That's when I thought of penny charms. This is so easy to do it barely qualifies as a craft. Directions below.


Here's what you start with, a tourist flattened penny. Using a small nail(I used the ones you hang small pictures with), hammer a hole into the penny close to the top. Add a jump ring with needle nose pliers. I added a clasp as well so I could clip it to a chain bracelet but that's optional. Done!

12 comments:

Michelle Frae Cummings said...

You are a genius! this is a awesome idea! I have a ton of these and would love to turn them into a fun travel bracelet to wear!
I wonder if my crop-a-dile would punch the hole?

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love this idea! I just finished a pre-dated post on my blog about your latest bit of wonderfulness.

Anonymous said...

Great idea! I love collecting "squished pennies" from all over, and this is a great way to show them off! You might want to mention that people should try and use pre-1982 pennies to prevent that stretched, two-tone look, since the earlier pennies had more copper (the new ones have a mixture that makes the squished pennies look funny).

Jan Scholl said...

since I dont have any flattened pennies-is there a way to do this at home? I have a jar of---well I gave up counting long ago--and am watching for a kids penny charity locally but the jar they are in comes up past my knees! and its like a milk can only glass. I could hold onto a few if I could do something with them.

Chase Clark said...

Very cute! I collect these things from all over the place, maybe I should make a big jangly charm bracelet out of them or something!

Michelle Frae Cummings said...

When O saw this, I thought of you and some of your crats. I hope you are not offended!
http://www.tamponcrafts.com/halloween.html

Larissa said...

Cool idea! You could also make these into wine glass charms...the kind that attaches to the stem of your glass so you can keep track of it at a dinner party.

jodi french paper arts said...

you are clever... sometimes the simple things have a big impact! Great idea

Gaby said...

What a brilliant idea.
I'm collecting those, too. Now I know how to keep them together.

Have a great week.

BB said...

Totaly Cool!

Susan M. Brown {sbartist} said...

You are a genius - I carry around 5 pounds of pennies and quarters on my vacations in an effort to get smashed pennies wherever I go. Thanks for the inspiration. What to do with the special holder now??? : ) Susan

LeeAnn P. said...

This is one of those simple but absolutely inspired ideas that make you wonder how you didn't think of it yourself! Thank you!

Zakka Life has moved to a new site!

Click here to visit the new site.