I can make metal stamped jewelry

Author: decey

Embracing Imperfection in Metal Stamping

I was hosting metal stamping make and takes at a big trade show last month when a woman walked up to the podium. I could tell she was a perfectionist, she was very concerned with getting it right. It took her far longer than most to stamp the three tiny pieces of metal with one letter. She was becoming increasingly flustered.

“How do I make this perfect?” She asked.

“You don’t.” I answered, pausing. “If you want perfect, get a cast metal or laser inscribed piece of jewelry. This is metal stamping, it’s done my hand, it’s meant to have some imperfection.”

“I want it to be perfect.” She pouted.

I couldn’t help her. This was something in her head that I simply couldn’t fix. Some people are not capable of embracing imperfection in metal stamping or life in general. Which is funny, considering most things are imperfect. I find imperfection beautiful. Flaws, scars, asymmetry and inconsistencies fascinate me. I am not afraid of imperfection, I embrace it. Yet, I have to admit that sometimes even I look at my metal stamped pieces so intensely, that I begin to fall into the ‘it’s not perfect’ trap.

Then I let that go. Walk away, come back with fresh eyes and most of the time those tiny flaws have disappeared. There are a few things you can do to approach this. One approach is to intentionally skew the placement of your letters. If you make them cattywompus on purpose, then ‘perfect’ loses meaning. Plus, angling your letters adds a lovely touch of whimsy. Here’s an example of a cattywompus design.:

(You can get the instructions to make these earrings on the ImpressArt website.)

If that isn’t your style, there are ways to line up your letters, plan your spacing and get more consistent results. Using tape to hold the blank and placing the top of the tape just below where you want to stamp offers a guideline, marking the tape with equally spaced lines helps with spacing, making sure the words you want to stamp fit the width and height of the piece prevents running out of room, marking letter placement with a pencil offers a removable guideline, starting in the center and working to each side keeps your words centered. I like these tips and tricks from I Always Choose the Thimble on stamping and kerning, which utilizes techniques from typesetting. Here is a piece I stamped marking the tape and sliding the blank down to the top of the tape:

It’s easier to stamp straight lines than along curves, but with a little practice and making sure the stamps are curved you can achieve lovely results. Here’s a curved design, using the petals helped with the placement, it was easier to center the stamps:

As you can see, even my best efforts are not perfect and I am fine with that. When you’re first starting out with stamping, using thin rectangular blanks is much easier whether you’re stamping horizontally or vertically. There isn’t much room for error and that’s a good thing! Practicing on thin metal strips is another way to work on your technique. With metal stamping, practice doesn’t make perfect, but it definitely makes you more consistent.

My advice, embracing imperfection in metal stamping is the key to enjoying it! Nothing will make you crazier than trying to force perfection on something that isn’t designed for it. After all, that imperfection is how you know it’s been hand made.

Cheers,
Madge

(Disclosure: Affiliate link below, if you buy this kit, I get a small percentage of the sale.)

Want to get started metal stamping? Here’s a great starter kit from ImpressArt and PJ Tool Jewelry:

January 23, 2023
Last Minute Metal Stamped Earrings

If you’re still looking for the perfect DIY holiday gifts, it doesn’t get easier or prettier than these last minute metal stamped earrings. Using design stamps is a lovely way to make a personalized gift. These are easy for the novice stamper if they use softer metal blanks like aluminum or pewter. The trick with design stamps is keeping the stamp in full contact with the blank and then rocking and hitting it from multiple angles. It does take a little practice, so get some sheet metal and perfect your technique. Use gift tags to display the earrings for a perfect presentation.

You will need (These are affiliate links, if you click on a link and buy something we get a small percentage of the sale, that’s how we can afford to share these free tutorials!)

2 ImpressArt, Circle, 1/2″, Aluminum Stamping Blanks
ImpressArt Design Stamps (We used Bumble Bee and Horse Shoe)
2 6-MM Jump Ring, Silver Plate
2 Beadalon Ball Earwires Silver Plated
2 Christmas Gift Tags
Ergo-Angle Metal Stamping Hammer
ImpressArt 4 by 4-Inch Steel Block
ImpressArt Hole Punch Pliers
2 Pairs ImpressArt Chain Nose Pliers
ImpressArt Stamp Enamel or Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint, Licorice
Dapping Block Set
Paper Towel

(Click on graphic to see more detail)

Step One: Tape blank to bench block.

Step Two: Hold stamp firmly centering and hitting dead center once. DO NOT LIFT STAMP. Rock stamp to top left, hit, top right, hit, bottom left, hit, bottom right, hit and dead center and hit one last time. As long as you don’t lift the stamp, this will help you get a full impression.

Step Three: Repeat for second blank.

Step Four: Use hole punch pliers to pierce a hole in the top center of each blank.

Step Five: Place blanks in dapping block, place dapping tool over blank. Hit top of dapping tool with hammer, moving tool around as you hit to form a concave shape. Repeat for second blank.

Step Six: Apply enamel, let sit for 10 seconds, wipe excess with paper towel.

Step Seven: You need to use jump rings with these blanks so they’ll sway when you wear the earrings. Gently grasp and turn the earring wire loops as shown so the earrings will hang straight when worn. Connect earrings with jump rings to earring wires with chain nose pliers. Make sure the rings are closed with tension!

Step eight: Pierce the gift tag with a straight pin and insert the earrings.

We used Organza Drawstring Gift Bags to wrap these. Simply fabulous. You can make these last minute metal stamped earrings in just a few minutes, so stamp up some for every gal on your gift list! If you make some, tag them on social media with #handstampedholidays! We love to see your creations.

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

January 15, 2023
DIY Lucky Charm Metal Stamped Necklace

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We’ve got a DIY Lucky Charm Metal Stamped Necklace that you can make and wear anytime you need to feel lucky. You’ll learn how to make the charm and how to create a coiled and beaded chain in this easy tutorial. Get kisses, not pinches, when you sport this on the town.

Here’s what you need:
ImpressArt SoftStrike Pewter 15/16″ Circle Blank
4mm Swarovski Crystals in Shades of Green
4mm Oval Freshwater Pearls
Daisy Spacer Metal Bead, 4mm
Shamrock Charm Bead
4 Beadalon Jump Rings 6mm Silver Plated
Beadalon 10-MM Jump Ring
Beadalon Ball Pin Medium Head Pins
German Style Wire, Round, Silver Plated, 24 gauge
Folk Art Enamel 2-Ounce Acrylic Paint, Licorice
Folk Art Enamel 2-Ounce Acrylic Paint, Evergreen
Beadalon Chain
Toggle Clasp
ImpressArt- 6mm, Four Leaf Clover Metal Stamp
ImpressArt Basic Metal Stamp Set, Uppercase, 3mm
Ergo-Angle Metal Stamping Hammer
ImpressArt 2 by 2-Inch Steel Block
ImpressArt Stamp Straight Tape
Round Nose Pliers
ImpressArt Bent Nose Pliers
ImpressArt Chain Nose Pliers
ImpressArt Flush Cutters

Step one: Stamp the clover in center of blank. Stamp around the edges, spacing the letters out and turning the block to face you as you stamp. Start in the center, working your way up both sides to spell Lucky Charm.

Step two: Use your fingertip or a cotton swab to wipe a small amount of paint into the clover. Let sit for 30 seconds, wipe off surface leaving paint in stamped area. Try to avoid getting green paint in the letters.

Step Three: Use your fingertip or a cotton swab to rub black enamel paint into letters. Allow to sit for 30 seconds and wipe paint off of surface.

Step Four: Use beads and a pearl to make beaded charms.

Step Five: Make your first coiled bead in your beaded chain. You’ll need to make wrapped coils on both ends. If you don’t know how to make coils, here’s a video tutorial.

Step Six: This is what the coiled bead should look like!

Step seven: To make the second coiled bead, make a finished coil on one end. Start your loop on the other end, thread it into one side of the first coiled bead, finish wrapping to connect them. Keep going, alternating between crystals and pearls on both sides for a total of four pearls and four crystals.

Step Eight: This is your finished chain. The pendant will hang between the two pearls in the front.

Step Nine: Connect the beaded chain to two chain lengths using jump rings. Finish the chain with a clasp. The toggle bar should be attached directly to the final chain link, you can open and close it with your pliers. The circle end is attached with a jump ring.

Step Ten: This is the front half of your necklace. Attach the stamped charm with a 10mm jump ring and the dangles all hang in between the first crystal and second pearl on the left side of the design. That’s it! Simply charming, yes?

We hope you enjoy making and wearing this Lucky Charm Metal Stamped Necklace as much as we do! Happy St. Patty’s Day from our home to yours.

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

January 14, 2023
DIY Longitude Latitude Necklace

Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes,
Nothing remains quite the same.
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane” Jimmy Buffet

We just got back from a delicious week at the beach with family. We were in Ocean City, New Jersey, which is a lovely beach indeed. Still, my favorite beach by far is Tybee Island off of the coast of Georgia. I have a collection of shells from Tybee and I’ve been meaning to make this necklace for ages. The past week at the beach reminded me that I always leave a piece of my heart at the ocean. So, here is my favorite place in longitude and latitude. You can pick yours, sand, sea or soil and make your own personal DIY Longitude Latitude Necklace. We’d love to know where you’d pick, so leave a comment!

Here’s what you need:
2 ImpressArt Pewter Stamping Blanks Rectangles
Small Glass Mini Bottle with Cork Top
Stainless Steel Screw Eye w/Ring
Beadalon Chain Rolo 3.8mm Silver Plated
4 6mm Beadalon 6-MM Jump Ring, Silver Plate
Beadalon Lobster Clasp Swivel
Jute twine
Extra Tiny Sea Shells
Sand
Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint, Licorice
Aleene’s Max Tacky Adhesive
Beadsmith 36 Piece Letter & Number Punch Set For Stamping Metal 1/8 Inch 3mm (1 Set W/ Wood Case)
Letter & Number Punch Set 1/16 Inch 1.5mm
Metal Punctuation Stamp Set, 1/16″
ImpressArt Large Metal Stamping Block
ImpressArt 1 lb. Brass Stamping Hammer
1.25mm Round Hole Punch Pliers for Sheet Metal
Cotton swab
Paper towel

Amazon.com Widgets

Amazon.com Widgets

Step one: Use the 1/8″ number stamps to stamp your first two numbers, add the degree mark using the 1/16″ number stamps and the number zero. Step two: Continue stamping your numbers, using the apostrophes as shown. You can find the longitude and latitude of your favorite place with a simple Google search. I abbreviated my numbers as they were super long, you can opt to be more exact if you desire. Step three: The last thing you’ll stamp is the direction using the uppercase premium font. Make a stamped blank for longitude and a second for latitude.

Step four: Use the metal punch to pierce a hole in the bottom of each stamped blank. (Design tip: If you want the stamped areas to have more definition, swipe some paint across the top with a cotton swab and wipe off excess with a paper towel.) Step five: Stuff your tiny vial with shells and sand (or whatever you wish to represent your favorite place.) Step six: Add some max tacky glue to the cork and allow to dry. Add glue to the tiny screw bail and screw into center of cork, this turns your vial into a pendant.

Step seven: Tie a tiny piece of twine around the neck of your glass vial. Dab a little glue on the knot and let it dry. Step eight: Connect the stamped blanks to the pendant and chain as shown. Step nine: Attach a jump ring to the end of the chain and a clasp to the other.

Wear your lovely DIY Longitude Latitude Necklace any time you need a little virtual escape. I can almost hear the tiny waves coming from mine.

Okay, not really.

Still, it makes me smile and that’s something.

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online in blog round-ups or blog posts ONLY if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

(FTC DISCLOSURE: *This post contains affiliate links, if you click on a link and make a purchase we get a small percentage of the sale. The blogger is employed by ImpressArt, but this is her personal blog. All opinions are 100% her own!)

December 2, 2022
#awesome metal stamped hashtag pins

*ImpressArt just released an adorable new font that is great for making whimsical, fun, handcrafted designs. Juniper plays on the hand written font trend with an easy to read upper and lower case font that comes in these super awesome new slotted stackable cases! Every letter and symbol has a market slot. No more hunting and pecking, it’s so easy to just pull the stamp you need and slide it right back into the case.

We were particularly excited about the hashtag stamp. We decided to make some #positive #awesome metal stamped hashtag pins. Get the project below and don’t forget to enter to win our Juniper lower case font giveaway! Let’s get started!

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November 12, 2022
Stamped Metal Necklace

This week’s DIY is a stamped metal necklace on a leather cord. You’ll learn how to stamp, ink, make a two part pendant and turn leather cord into a necklace with 20 gauge plated craft wire. We love leather cord for guys and gals to give your jewelry a more casual, laid back appeal.

My sister-in-law Alison was visiting us this weekend for her birthday. I had just *received the new arrow and heart stamps from Beaducation along with their fabulous new beginner’s metal stamp kit and an array of blanks and this design came together from there. One of the best things about hand stamped jewelry is that you can easily share a personalized message using images, numbers and letters. Aluminum blanks are soft and very easy to stamp, I like them best hammered to give them texture and make them look more like precious metal. This is a very easy design to execute and Beaducation has everything you need in their beginner’s kit. In fact, I’ll be giving this kit away on Wednesday, so make sure you come back to enter for the chance to win! (US Residents only.)

You will need:

Beaducation aluminum blanks in flower and heart
2 4.5mm jump rings
Black leather cord
20 gauge silver plated copper wire
Lobster clasp
OR Black leather finished necklace
Beaducation Stamping on Metal Starter Kit: Includes bench block, economy stamps in 1/8″ size, 1.5mm hole punch pliers, Sharpie marker, printed instructions, video tutorial CD, copper sheet, ball chain necklace, copper blanks, stamping tape, pro polish pads
Heart Arrow Stamp
Tiny Fat Lined Heart Stamp
1 pound brass stamping hammer
Chasing hammer
Black acrylic paint dabber
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Flush cutters
Paper towel

Step one: Use round end of chasing hammer to hammer texture on surface of both blanks. Step two: Stamp MY AIM and arrow on flower blank as shown. Step three: Stamp IS TRUE and heart on heart blank as shown. Step four: Use pliers to pierce a hole at the top and bottom petal of flower and top of the larger side of the heart blank as shown.

Step five: Dab paint into stamped areas of blanks. Wipe off excess with paper towel. Step six: Connect the two blanks with a jump ring. Attach a second jump ring to the top hold in the flower blank. Step seven: Cut leather to desired length. Step eight: Use round nose pliers to create a small loop in the end of your wire coil.

Step nine: Wrap wire around leather, working up from turned loop. You will need to leave about 1/4″ of leather on the tail and will coil approximately 5 times. Make sure you wrap this tightly and take your time so it’s neatly coiled. Step ten: Cut the end from wire when you have almost reach the end of the leather. Use cutters to remove excess leather. Step eleven: Grasp the final coil and turn it up to create a loop using your chain nose pliers. Adjust the loop, making sure it’s flush to the top of the leather end with your round nose pliers. Use the chain nose pliers to gently compress the coils together to remove any gaps. Do this on both sides of your leather. Step twelve: Gently open one end loop to attach a clasp. Step thirteen: Attach the pendant to the front of the leather using pliers. Step thirteen: Wear!

What song lyrics would you use for this stamped metal necklace? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to come back on Wednesday for the GIVEAWAY!

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

(*FTC DISCLOSURE: Blogger was provided product for this post and the giveaway, all opinions and instructions are 100% her own.)

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online in blog round-ups or blog posts ONLY if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

October 26, 2022
DIY Metal Stamped Silverware Garden Markers

We’ve seen a lot of metal stamped silverware trending over the past year on the web. It’s such fun, we had to try it ourselves. Check back Friday for a round-up post. Great news, ImpressArt recently debuted a new line of premium metal stamps with a lifetime guarantee for use with harder metals like stainless steel. We used our regular ImpressArt stamps, but if you plan on making a garden full of these, the premium stamps will withstand the punishment. Over time, regular and especially economy stamps will show signs of wear if used on hard metals like the stainless steel in silverware. We scored our spoons for a quarter at a local thrift shop, which makes this a fun upcycled project. Here’s how you can stamp your own spoons (or forks and knives!)

*You will need:

Thrift shop spoon
ImpressArt Lowercase Stamp Set, 3mm, Bridgette stamps lower case or ImpressArt Newsprint Lowercase Alphabet Metal Stamps- New Case stamps lower case
5 pound sledge hammer
ImpressArt 2 by 2-Inch Steel Block
Basement Floor or other Concrete Slab
ImpressArt Stamp Straight Tape
Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint, Licorice
Cotton swab
Paper towel

Step one: It’s much easier to stamp the spoons if they’re flattened. You can use a regular hammer, but they end up looking pretty rustic (meaning lumpy) that way. My hubby used a sledgehammer in our basement, it took a few hits to take the spoon from round to flat, but using a towel to protect it left the surface smooth when finished. Step two: I stamped “bloom where you’re planted” on the spoon, so I started just below the center with the word you’re. (The punctuation marks are both in the Bridgette lower case set.) Tape the spoon down, start stamping in the center of each word and work your way out and then up and down. You’ll need to move the tape for each word. You need a very firm grip on your stamps to prevent them from skipping. Hit each letter 2-3 times in a row (usually we recommend one good hit but stainless is much harder than regular metal blanks.) Step three: Here’s what the spoon should look like when you finish stamping. Step four: Use black enamel paint to help the letters stand out. The impressions won’t be very deep, so the paint won’t pop as much as it does on other blanks. Use cotton swab to dig paint into letters. Let it sit for about 3o seconds. Wipe off the excess paint with a paper towel.

That’s it! Make a garden full of Metal Stamped Silverware! These make wonderful Mother’s Day and Wedding gifts and you can use this same technique to make jewelry. Stay tuned for more ideas with this technique in the future and come back Friday for a big metal stamped silverware round-up!

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

*(FTC DISCLOSURE: There are affiliate links in this post. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we get a small percentage of the sale.)

August 25, 2022
DIY Candy Stash Necklace

Sometimes you need a little sugar rush. When that emergency strikes, this DIY Candy Stash Necklace will fix you right up! Or, you could just wear it because it’s cute. Like you, cutie pie! Fill your tiny vial with whatever you might need in an emergency, glitter, glue, aspirin, sequins…vodka. What ev er.

You will need:
Mini Glass Vials with Screws
2 6mm Jump Rings
Sterling Silver Fine Cable Chain Necklace
Candy sprinkles
ImpressArt Pewter Stamping Blank River Stone
Letter Punch Set 1/16 Inch
Letter Stamp Punch Set 1/8″
ImpressArt Steel Stamping Block
ImpressArt Brass Stamping Hammer
Impress Art Stamp Straight Tape
ImpressArt 2-Hole Punch
Chain nose pliers
Aleene’s Max Tacky Adhesive
Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint, Licorice
Small Funnel
Cotton swab and paper towel

Amazon.com Widgets

Step one: Stamp “in case of EMERGENCY” on your blank. Start in the center with “of” and work to top and bottom. I used smaller lower case fonts for “in case of” and then did the word “EMERGENCY” in all caps with a cattywompus placement. Step two: Swipe black enamel paint across front of blank with a cotton swab. Let sit for 30 seconds, then wipe off with a soft cloth or paper towel. Step three: Use smaller side of 2-hole punch to pierce a hole in the center bottom of stamped blank. Step four: Use funnel to pour candy sprinkles into vial.

Step five: Wipe a small amount of adhesive around bottom half of cork. Use pliers to hold cork securely as you place it into vial. Step six: Place a small amount of adhesive on end of screw. Use chain nose pliers to grip loop at top of screw and slowly screw it into the top of the cork. Step seven: Connect the jar to the stamped charm and add a jump ring to top of charm. Step eight: Add chain.

That’s it! You can make this DIY Candy Stash Necklace in well under thirty minutes, just make sure you let the adhesive dry before you wear it out on the town. Oh, and don’t break this unless there’s a real emergency, or you’ll have to make another.

What will you stash in yours? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

(This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we get a small percentage of the sale. That’s how we maintain our candy stash.)

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online in blog round-ups or blog posts ONLY if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

August 12, 2022
DIY Naughty Nice Earrings

Have you been naughty or nice? Or perhaps a little bit of both? No matter, we’ve got you covered! These DIY Naughty Nice Earrings are so easy to make and perfect for the holiday season. Whip up a pair for yourself and perhaps some of the folks on your naughty nice list! Get the instructions below! (Our posts contain affiliate links, if you click on a link and make a purchase we get a small percentage of the sale. Ho, ho, ho!)

What you need:

2 ImpressArt- Pewter Stamping Blanks, Circle, 15/16.
2 Dapped and Spring Ear Wire
2 6mm Jump Ring
2 Tiny Jingle Bells
3mm Uppercase Sans Serif Font Set
ImpressArt Brass Stamping Hammer
ImpressArt Steel Stamping Block
Impress Art Stamp Straight Tape
ImpressArt Face Chasing Hammer
Dapping Set Block
Folk Art Enamel Acrylic Paint, Licorice
2 pairs Chain Nose Pliers
Paper Towel
Cotton Swab

Amazon.com Widgets

Amazon.com Widgets

How to make:

Step one: Use round end of a ball peen hammer to add texture to the surface of your blanks. Step two: Stamp NAUGHTY on one blank. Stamp Straight tape secures the blanks and provides an edge so you can stamp across the center. The word NAUGHTY just fits, so start stamping in the center and move out to make sure you get it all on the blank! Step three: Stamp NICE on the second blank. Step four: Place blank bottom side up in dapping block, make sure the blank fits the block so you get a nice dome.

Step five: Place corresponding punch into block and hammer with brass hammer. Move the punch around as you hit to make an even dome. Step six: Repeat the dapping process with the second blank. Step seven: Use a cotton swab to apply paint to surface of blanks. Allow to sit for 30 seconds. Wipe off excess with paper towel. Step eight: Slide blank, bell and earring wire on jump ring and connect with chain nose pliers. Be sure to close your rings with tension so they’re secure. Repeat for second earring.

Jingle, jingle, you naughty little minx! Or nice minx. Whichever!

If you make a pair of DIY Naughty Nice Earrings, we’d love to see them! Leave a link in the comments.

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

*DIY Project Policy: Our tutorials are meant for your creative inspiration. Feel free to make and gift or wear these designs. Please make sure that you give credit to us as the designer if you make and share these designs on your blog or social sites. Please do not make and sell copies of our designs or sell them as kits. Please do not teach these designs as classes for profit. This is how we make our living and we ask that you respect our creativity and the time it takes to design, photograph and write these free tutorials. You may use a single photograph from each project online in blog round-ups or blog posts ONLY if you include a direct link back to our tutorial. Any use of these designs for retail sale for profit online in places like Etsy or eBay or in retail bricks and mortar, flea markets or outdoor fairs is not permitted. Thank you!

June 5, 2022
Happily Ever After Necklace

I work part time as the Creative and PR Director for ImpressArt. They are the world’s leading manufacturer of supplies for metal stamped jewelry making. Of course, having access to so much super awesome metal stamping stuff is a blast for a jewelry designer like myself. I consult with them sometimes on new products and I kept nagging them about doing a banner blank. I’m a writer, I liked the idea of a banner that you could use to write a story with metal stamped elements. I LOVE these blanks and I’m seriously smitten with this necklace. After all, who doesn’t want to live happily ever after?

*Here’s what you need to make a DIY Happily Ever After Necklace of your own (FYI-the following links are affiliate links):

3 ImpressArt SoftStrike Pewter Banner Blanks
4 10-MM Jump Ring Silver Plated
2 6-MM Jump Ring Silver Plated
Chain Small Silver Plated
Toggle Clasp Small Silver Plated
ImpressArt Juniper Lowercase Alphabet Metal Stamps Set
ImpressArt Uppercase Stamp Set Newsprint
ImpressArt Lowercase Stamp Set Jeanie
Impressart 1/2 Lb Brass Metal Stamping Hammer, Protects Your Steel Stamps and Other Tools, Great for Stamping Blanks, Lighter Version
ImpressArt Steel Stamping Block
Impress Art Stamp Straight Tape
Chain Nose Pliers (2 pairs or one pair and one pair Bent Chain Nose Pliers)
Semi-Flush Cutter
Cotton Swab
Paper Towel

Amazon.com Widgets

Amazon.com Widgets

Step one: Using the three fonts, stamp the words happily, ever and after on the three blanks. I used Juniper for happily, Newsprint for ever and Jeanie for after. Step two: Use the round end of your hammer to gently tap around the edges of your blanks adding texture.

Step three: Apply a thin layer of paint to the surface of each stamp using a cotton swab. Let this sit for 30 seconds. Wipe off with a paper towel. Step four: Use your chain nose pliers to connect the blanks together with the large jump rings.

Step five: Connect the banners to the chain on both sides using the larger jump rings and your chain nose pliers. Step six: Attach the clasp to the other end of your chains using the smaller jump rings.

That’s it! Stamp it up and enjoy your DIY Happily Ever After Necklace. Simple and simply charming, yes? You can use these banners to make all sorts of wonderful story book themed jewelry. What would you do with these? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers,
Margot and Avalon

(FTC DISCLOSURE: *This post contains affiliate links, if you click on a link and make a purchase we get a small percentage of the sale. The blogger is employed by ImpressArt, but this is her personal blog. All opinions are 100% her own!)

May 28, 2022