One of a Kind Hand Stamped Washer Necklaces

Customized washer necklaces are all the craze these days in the crafting community. I made some of these for myself and for some family members and friends for the holiday season and I love them! It is nice to wear something that has your spouse and your name on it, or your kids and their birthdays. It helps me to remember them all the time throughout the day. These would be great wedding, anniversary, valentine's day, or birthday gifts! Is a new baby coming? Show up to the baby shower with one of these babies and you'll be sure to get "ooos" and "ahs." They are so versatile. You can wear one washer, or several at a time. With beads, with charms, or alone for a more simple look.These necklaces or pendants can range in quality and price to make due to the metals used, size of washers, designs, and font styles. However, if you just want to dip your toes in and try them out, you can do so very easily and for way cheap. Here's how:

1/2" (1" in diameter) washer

Tutorial & Tips 
Materials Needed:

-washers

-hammer

-steel lettered stamps

-chain necklace

-black sharpie

-baby wipe

-drill (optional)

-jump rings (optional)

-beads or charms (optional)

-pin heads for beads (optional)
-polishing supplies (optional) 

1. Gather your supplies. 

Purchase the size of washer you wish to use at your local Lowe's or Home Depot. 

Important Tip: Note that the size on the package refers to the size of the hole in the center of the washer, not the diameter of the washer itself. You may find washers marked the same that are different sizes because the whole in the middle is the same, but the entire width varies. 

I have tried a variety of sizes and found that the best size for adults is a 1/2" washer which measures about 1" in diameter. This both looks the best and is the easiest for stamping on. You can purchase about 5 of them for a dollar, but plan on it being a learning process with a lot of messups until you get the hang of it, so you may consider 3 washers for every successful one you finish. 5/16" washers are a good size for necklaces with multiple washers, or for smaller sizes for kids, but they are harder to work with.

You'll need some steel lettered stamps to apply your message. Nice fonts usually run for about $165 big ones at jewelery stores, however if you are okay with the font shown in these pictures, you can purchase them at Harbor Freight for about $8.99 plus shipping when all is said and done. Make sure you select the 1/8th size of 40 stamps so you get all the punctuations you need. 

If you don't have a drill to drill holes into the washer, you can just wrap the chain around in a slip not as shown in the picture with the message "Be Still."

If you do have a drill you can use to drill holes in, than you will also want to purchase some jump rings (I use 6mm ones for the chain, and 4mm ones for adding beads and charms). These will run you about $1-$2 dollars a bag for about 60 jump rings.

Any accessories you want- beads, charms, a chain, etc. If you want to add beads, you will also need pinheads to attach them as well.  

If you are going all out with the drilled holes, jump rings, charms, and beads, you may want to pick up some pliers you can use to open the jump rings and twist the pinhead wires.

Finally, grab a hammer, a black sharpie, any polishing supplies you may have, and a baby wipe or two.

2. Stamp it Up!
Find a concrete surface such as your garage or basement floor. Do not attempt this on a table or tiled floors. Decide on the message you want to apply to the washer. Find all of the stamps you need to create the message so you can get a flow going without having to stop each time to look for the next letter or number.

Place your washer face up on the concrete floor and place your stamp on the washer. Hold the washer as tight as you can so that it won't slip. If using the Harbor Freight stamps, I have found that depending on the letter, you will want to hit the stamp several times very hard with the hammer.  If the letters are made of straight lines such as "L" "I" "T" for example, you will only need to hit the stamp 1-3 times. These letters tend to leave a deeper impression than rounded ones. Rounded letters like "O" "C" "R" need to be hit up to ten times. Also, instead of using their "W" use the "M" instead, just upside down. It's easier to work with. 

3. Oxidize Your Letters
After your message is complete, take a black sharpie and fill in the letters pressing down into the grooves very hard. Don't worry about getting marker on top of the washer. This is a cheap way to oxidize the washer, and it makes the letters stand out more.

4. Clean and polish
After the letters are filled in, wipe the excess ink off with the baby wipe. You may find depending on the washer you are using, that it is better to wipe it off right away (if using a 5/16 washer), or to wait a little while first to let it dry. If you have stubborn ink that won't come off, I have found polishing (with a dremel) the necklace helps take it off. You can use a dremel tool with a polishing kit like I do, but that can get pricey if you don't already have it. If power tools aren't your thing, the cheaper route is to use a wipe designed for polishing metals. 

If you aren't drilling a hole into the washer, than you put the chain on and you are done!

5. Drill Hole and Attach Jump Rings and Accessories (optional)

If you have a drill, go ahead and drill a hole in the top of your washer. Attach a jump ring (6mm) by pulling it apart and sliding it through the hole. Attach another jump ring (6mm) to the first one. This second jump ring will be used to slip the pendant onto the chain. 

If you have any beads or charms to attach, you will want to apply another jump ring (4mm) to the first one that is wrapped around the washer hole, and attach the accessory to that. 

Beads need to have a pinhead slid into the holes, and a loop formed at the top so it can be slid onto the jump ring. The picture to the left should give you an idea of how it should look.


Purchase Your Own Customized Necklace
Do you like the idea of customized washer necklaces but don't have the time or desire to make them?!? I have placed some in our Etsy shop where you can purchase a custom necklace just for you. The names in the pictures are only examples of what you can do. Just let me know the name(s), date(s), or message you want and I can make it for you!

We participated in:

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The Romantic Rubik's Cube

My gifting style tends to lean towards things I can do with photographs. I love taking them and editing them, and finding cool new ways to display them is fun too. I found this idea over at Love Actually:

These look really cool and seem very easy to make! Here is the tutorial from her website:

Click Here for Tutorial

These would obviously be great for wedding gifts, but you could also do any picture you want and use it for any occasion. Here are some more ideas on how to use these:

- Stocking Stuffer
- Home Decoration
- Gift for a spouse who enjoys puzzles
- Bridal shower or small wedding gift (using pics of the couple)
- Father's Day/Mother's Day

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Tile Coasters

I found this really great gift idea at the Trey and Lucy blog as well as Just a Girl and had to try it out myself. I had a wedding last weekend and thought it was the perfect opportunity to make these. They are handmade tile coasters, and they are a cinch! Many of the materials needed you may already have in your craft room, and if not, I was able to purchase everything for around $17.00 and that was buying more than I needed for one gift. Now if I want to make them again, it will only cost the amount of the tiles which would be about $2.00 or less!

 Materials Needed:

• 4- 4X4 tiles from your nearest Lowes- I got a box of 9 marble tiles for $4.77 but you can get them individually for much cheaper as well, on average around 40 cents each. My tiles are very porous because I thought the ink would stick better, but found that the holes distract from the stamped image so you may want to try a smoother tile. I recommend having a practice tile to make all your design mistakes on.  

• A StazOn inkpad and ink cleaner. For my tile, once the ink was on, it was on and there was no cleaning it off. But if you get a tile that has been sealed, you can clean off the ink if you don't like how it turned out and redo it. 
• Stamp(s) to decorate the tops of the tiles with.
• Felt with sticky backing for the bottoms of the tile. I was able to find a sheet of felt with a sticky back on it for a dollar.
  
• Modge Podge and brush- this is only if your tile is unsealed so it can have a finished looked, as opposed to being chalky to the touch.

Instructions:

1. Take your stamp, press it onto the inkpad and then press it firmly onto the tile in the desired location.



Here are some examples of what they could look like:


 
 

2. Once the ink design is complete, attach four felt squares to the bottom of each tile.



3. If your tile is unsealed and chalky to the touch, you will want to modge podge the top and sides. This will give it a more finished look. It will brush on white but dries clear.
 

 
 
4. Once dry, pile the tiles on top of each other and tie a matching bow around them.



5. Add a matching tag with your message to who and from.

These are so cheap and easy to make, they would be great to keep stored away for a thank you gift, or would be great for Christmas gifts for large families.


If you try to make these I would love to hear how it goes and see some pictures of how they turned out! 

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Men vs. Women

Today is my 4th anniversary and I am again reminded how different men and woman are when it comes to gift giving. I gave my husband a few very thoughtful, though kind of useless gifts. I was going for the sentimental side of things. My husband, however, goes for the "what does my wife need" approach. When I opened my gift and saw that it was a Snuggie, yep, a snuggie...a blanket with sleeves...I laughed because I thought it was a joke. I said "I didn't know people really bought these things", and quickly realized that my husband thought I would love the gift. He said "You are always asking for a blanket at night on the couch and you are always cold, so I thought you would like it."

My husband also got me a lighted magnifying mirror. Now this I actually told him I wanted. But it gave me a gift idea that men could give to their wives. Buy a nice magnifying mirror for your wife's vanity and put a card on it that says "You are so beautiful." That is the best of both worlds...something useful but sweet as can be.

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eCards

Here is an easy idea- send an eCard. I know it is not the same as a snail mail card, but if you remember that birthday at 11:30 at night, you can send an eCard and still have it be date stamped for the recipients actual birthday. My favorite eCard site is Dover. I like it mostly because it is free, but Dover is also where you can get oodles of clip art that is copyright free for your own crafts or art. They have all sorts of styles and themes. Also, signing up for Dover's free email newsletter is very worth it- they send you free clip art! 

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Pocket reminders

This past weekend I attended the huge Tea Party rally in Washington D.C. . While I was there, I thought about getting some gifts for my children, but I really didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for all the over priced junk at the Smithsonian, or other souvenir carts they had all over town. As we marched up to the Capitol building, we passed by a Buckeye tree growing on the Capitol lawn, and there were nuts all over the ground. In a flash I decided to pick some up for my children. ( It helps if you understand that the Buckeye tree is Ohio's state tree.) When I got home, I explained to them that these small buckeyes were a good symbol of our freedom. We live in a republic, with each state loosely connected by the federal government, and the Buckeye tree reminded me of that. You could see all the different trees on the lawn there, each it's own little world, but because they were on the Capitol lawn, They were protected and kept safe from harm by the gardeners there. Just like our relationship between the states and the federal government. (Maybe it is a stretch, but it was a sort of profound thought at the time.) So I gave them to my children and asked them to keep them in their pockets for awhile, to remind them about their freedom. For the next couple of days they were all like oops, I lost my freedom. Look mom, I'm abusing my freedom! Smart alecs. Anyway, it got me thinking, what else could you give as a small gift that someone could keep in their pocket? A small charm for their key ring that symbolizes your relationship, or a marble (for some extra sanity) or maybe a small polished stone or shell that you picked up on the beach when you were away together? Gifts don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts.

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The sound of love

Here's a quick little idea- why not borrow your loved one's phone, and get them some fun ring tones? There are lots of ring tones on the internet for free or cheap.  You can find instructions on how to upload them too, usually with a little google-fu. How about finding the song played at your wedding? When my husband got me a new phone for my birthday, he set it up with all kinds of hilarious ring tones- my favorite being the one that plays whenever one of my 6 crazy sisters call: Here it goes again!


OK Go - New Music - More Music Videos
And my main ring tone that he added? It's my mantra:



OK Go - New Music - More Music Videos
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Everything but the Kitchen sink

 I think the easiest way to give a fun gift is when the idea for a cute tag is already done for you. Consider Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavors:

So sorry I flipped out on you. Let's kiss and make up.

Thank you so much for feeding our pets while we were gone!

Please go out with me, Jamaican me crazy!

Happy Birthday! Congratulations on becoming old as a fossil!

Thanks so much for everything you did for the PTA meeting/cub scout dinner/office party!

Goodbye! It was nice working with you!

Hint Hint *wink*

For a soldier or his family: Stay safe during your deployment! Thank you for your sacrifice for our country!

Hang in there. Maybe this will help.

  You are an Extraordinary Person. Thanks for being you!

This makes a great last minute gift- grab a pint, some stick on labels that you hand write on, and you are good to go!

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Send your own message in a bottle...My friend Shelly is my partner in crime. We have a flea market booth over at the Streetsboro Flea Market. Our booth is called Three Penny Market. Shelly is the queen of all things recycled- she never throws away anything, because when she is done with it, you want it back! Today, she was making some really great stuff. She had acquired ( we won't ask where) some of those bottles you see sometimes in stores for foodies, those tall bottles full of vinegar with dodgy looking peppers topped with wax. They had seen better days, so she emptied them out, cleaned them up, and bought new corks. She has been busy making them into spooky potion bottles for Halloween, but she made one that will make such a great gift. She filled one of the bottles with sand, and tiny shells, and put in a strategically placed note, (put in so you can read it) that says "Don't rescue me, I love it here." I thought this would make a great anniversary gift for your special someone, especially if you are taking a trip. She put in the cork, and added some charms and things to the outside, to finish it off. I think this gift idea could be adapted for all kinds of ideas, to announce things or to send any kind of special message. Click on the picture above to send a virtual message in a bottle to someone you love...

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Jar of Messages

This is something that you can buy if you don't have the time, but I think its an easy an inexpensive thing you can make as well. You simply get a glass jar, fill it halfway with colorful shredded paper, and then take some colorful scrapbooking paper and write some kind notes, poems, stories, etc. to the gift receiver. Fold the notes so they aren't readable and place them on top of the shredded paper. Tie a bow around the jar and Tah dah! All done. You can put as many notes in as you want.

The idea is for the receiver to open one note a day
This would be a great going back to school gift to help your child with self esteem and confidence. Its also a great anniversary or birthday gift. You could do a theme such as "All the Things I Love About You" or "My Favorite Memories of our last 2 Years Together" "All the Reasons You Amaze Me"



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A Personal Photo Carved Night Light

Everyone loves personalized gifts. It shows that you went the extra mile and took the time to think about them individually as opposed to giving them a gift card. I found this really neat idea at www.lightaffection.com where you can create a night light out of a picture. What a sweet gift to give to someone who just had a baby for their nursery! Take a picture of the baby or even use the picture they sent from their baby announcement to create this. Any picture can be used so you could create a wedding gift with their engagement picture or anything you can think of.

Some things to know:

• The lights are available in different frames, sizes and prices.
• You can submit the image and/or order online or by mail.
• The picture quality is directly related to the final result.
• Their smallest night light (2 3/4 X 2 3/4) will set you back $44.95.

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