WhatIWore: I recently cleaned out my piggy bank and realized I have quite the collection of coins that I’ve picked up around the world. Over the weekend, along with MAJOR help from my dad, I made a charm bracelet using these coins. How to after the jump!
Supplies:
- Coins, tokens or metal discs
- Chain link bracelet (I used an old one I had on hand!)
- 9mm Split Rings
- Small square of scrap wood
Tools:
- Drill Press
- 1/8” Pilot Point drill bit
- Needle nose pliers (Jewelers pliers would be even better)
- Brass or Copper polish (optional)
Heads up! This project involves power tools and other sharp objects. Please use precaution and style yourself up with the proper safety gear (like goggles or gloves) when necessary. Proceed at your own risk!
1. First you’ll need to identify where you’d like the hole in your coin and then position it accordingly under your drill press. We used a small block of wood to help stabilize our coin. We also think it helped with getting a clean cut.
2. Speaking of a clean cut, you need a drill bit that’s made to cut metal. My dad had a 1/8” Pilot Point drill bit on hand that we used.
3. My dad did the drilling, holding the coin steady with his finger. Power tools scare me, so thanks for the help Dad!!
4. Once all of the holes are drilled, you can polish up your coins if you want to! Some of these were a little grimy, so a quick clean up really helped! We used Brasso, but you could use any formula meant to clean metals. Make sure to use gloves and do this step in a well ventilated space.
5. After our coins were cleaned and dried, I started to lay them out in different patterns to determine the final look. Play around with it! And remember, the bracelet will form a circle, so if you’re alternating colors or sizes, keep that in mind!
6. Using two different pliers, a screw driver and a knife, we pried open the split rings and secured them through the hole. We My dad tried a couple of different ways to get the rings open. Play around with this step and be patient! It’s a lot like putting a key on a key ring.
7. Finally, Using the same technique, attach the coins to your bracelet via the split ring.
You could do this project with so many little things! One reader on facebook suggested guitar picks! The sky is the limit! Just make sure you use the proper drill bit and allow one or two of your “charms” for trial and error!
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