Spoon Pendant

This is an easy craft for the most novel crafter. This is my first attempt at making jewelry since friendship bracelets in the 8th grade,
and even those were only the simple braided ones. It is a unique piece of jewelry that you can make "yours" and then make
another one... and another one... because they take less than an hour and cost less than a dollar to make!

First, obviously you need... wait for it... a SPOON! Our local Habitat Re-Store sells silverware for 10 cents a piece, so I grabbed a varied selection of spoons to work with.

You will need to cut the handle of the spoons about an inch up from the neck (actual cup of the spoon). I enlisted my husband for this task. After attempting several methods, he thought the easiest way to do it as with a jigsaw using a hacksaw blade (whatever that means).  Then, you are going to curl the remaining piece of the handle to create a loop for the pendant. I did this with needle-nose pliers.

When choosing the spoons for this project, I focused in getting a varied collection. After having worked with them, I would suggest getting the "cheaper" quality spoons that are going to be easier to cut and bend (and hammer).

Next you are going to hammer the "cup" out of the spoon, flatten it. I found the easiest way to achieve this was to duct-tape the spoon onto a brick and hammer it!

The art of the spoons is created with scrapbook paper! Cutting a stencil for the spoon and then using the negative space will give you the best preview of how the design is going to look. This will help you choose the best paper and the best area on your paper to work with for an optimum design.

Next, cut the chosen scrapbook paper to fit the face of your spoon pendant and Mod Podge it to adhere to the metal surface (and, of course, let dry).

Then it's time for embellishing! I may make another version of the pendant that leaves the spoon "natural." Then benefit of "tarnishing" it though is that it blends the paper onto the spoon so it's not so obviously... paper glued on a spoon.

The tutorial that inspired this project instructed crafters to try and create a rusted look on your pendant. I could not get the color combo right to achieve that effect. So, I just played and played until I found something I liked. I painted the front of the pendant and then wiped it off a few times. When the paint dried I wiped over it a couple of times with a fine sandpaper, especially the edges, to try and give it that rustic look. For the back of the pendant, I just swirled and swirled paint until it was the appropriate level of whimsical funkiness.

Lastly, you will need to seal the pendant, which will make it shiny(!) and prevent any wearing away of the paint.

Add to a chain or leather cord and hemp and Voila! A unique new piece of jewelry that will make folks say, "That's not a spoon. Is that a spoon? Did you make that?"

The tutorial that provided this project can be found at  Busily Spinning Mama.