I am a HUGE fan of those super cool hand stamped necklaces on Etsy that have all your children's names on them...however, I am not a fan of the price because by the time you add all the names I need...I can't afford it! lol. Always the do-it-yourself kind I figured that there had to be a way I could make one...so the hunt began...and I learned that it isn't that hard, but boy could this be an expensive hobby if I let it!
This past Christmas I asked for a metal stamping kit, they sell them at Hobby Lobby for around $20-$25, but use a 40% coupon and you have it! My only complaint is that this one did not come with any numbers...(like I said this could be an expensive hobby...just think of all the fonts and sizes!)
So, here is what I used...Metal stamping kit, some blank metal tags to work with, jewelry pliars, a rusty hammer I found in the barn (rust is optional), a small slab of metal I found in the garage, and a clean cotton cloth since I am hammering on a bumpy surface.
This past Christmas I asked for a metal stamping kit, they sell them at Hobby Lobby for around $20-$25, but use a 40% coupon and you have it! My only complaint is that this one did not come with any numbers...(like I said this could be an expensive hobby...just think of all the fonts and sizes!)
So, here is what I used...Metal stamping kit, some blank metal tags to work with, jewelry pliars, a rusty hammer I found in the barn (rust is optional), a small slab of metal I found in the garage, and a clean cotton cloth since I am hammering on a bumpy surface.
Some of the metal tags I used had small jump rings so I removed those before hammering.
Disclaimer, these blank tags are cheap, so they are best used for practicing though as you can see from the "Hope" necklace I did get a wearable piece out of using them, however, I hope to get comfortable enough to order some solid sterling silver tags to make necklaces out of. I just opt not to practice on expensive blanks.
After I was done playing around with the blanks, I used a black sharpie to get some color into the letter grooves, you do need to wipe it off pretty quickly though so it doesn't dry or it becomes difficult to wipe off.
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Then just add a ball chain or leather cord and you are all set!
So there you have it, and the possibilities are limitless! Not crafty? Message me in the comments section and I will sell you one of these for a very reasonable price.
