DIY Penny Ring + How to Clean Copper with Baking Soda and Vinegar

I mentioned Friday that when I broke my first $20.00 back on Canadian soil (for a $1.13 purchase at Value Village, I thought the cashier was going to wring my neck), I found a 1950 Canadian penny in my change.  I was sitting at my desk fiddling with it, when I thought it might be the same size as some ring shanks I bought in Budapest, for a different project.  I plonked the penny into one and, wouldn't you know, it got stuck!  Don't worry, we managed to coax it out so I could start fresh and make an easy-peasy penny ring.

Although I love patina as much as the next person, my penny was really grey and mucky.  Its "patina" largely came from 60+ years of dirty, unwashed hands fondling it.  I hesitated cleaning it, because I knew I couldn't bring the patina back if I didn't like the results, but then I gave my head a shake.  It's a friggin penny.  Why do I take these things so seriously?

Here it is, pre-clean (it photographed much prettier than it was in real life):

Supplies:

• Penny
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Paper Towel
• LePage Gel Epoxy
• Ring shank (base)

Cleaning my penny:

I grabbed a bowl of vinegar (maybe half a cup) and poured a couple teaspoons of salt in it for the penny bath.  I dropped in the penny and within seconds it already looked brighter.  About five minutes resulted in a shinier penny.  


Next I created a baking soda paste with a couple tablespoons of baking powder and a few drops of water.  Using the corner of a piece of paper towel, I rubbed the penny with the paste.  Even brighter!

Assembling the ring:

My ring shank looks like this:

 
You can find similar ones at craft stores or online.  Etsy and Amazon both have a good selection; just measure your coin and search by diameter.  You can also use a plain ring shank without the setting (like these). 

I mixed up and applied a dab of my favorite fast drying epoxy (it sets in five minutes and has a rock hard hold) to the ring shank and gently pressed the penny in.  I made sure not to apply an excess of epoxy, because I didn't want it to squish out the sizes.

This DIY was so simple, it feels like cheating.

My penny ring is unadorned just because my penny was nifty.  Take a peek at Friday's post for some ideas for other projects, including bedazzled penny rings.

P.S. before you make something, see if your Canadian penny is worth anything here (and here's a rough guide for American pennies).

11 Ways to Use Pennies for Crafts

Given that the Canadian penny is going the way of the dinosaurs, I was especially excited when I found a penny from 1950 in my change the other day.  Actually, it was in the first mitt-ful of Canadian change I've held for four months.  I thought I'd share a few inspiring penny projects while I think about what to make with mine.  It seems fitting, given the launch of my Money Talks series earlier this week (which I'm really looking forward to, by the way, because the discussions have been so informative and motivating already!).

Have you seen how many penny accessories are for sale on Etsy?  Here's a sampling:

Etsy

Etsy

Etsy

There are also some fabulous tutorials out there, too.  Surely, most of you have seen jaw dropping penny tiled walls, like this beauty:

I also spotted floors, counters and backsplashes tiled in pennies.  

But there are less painstaking ideas too, like this ombre penny art:

A penny desk top is another low commitment idea, and there's a really detailed how-to tutorial here.

For DIY penny jewellery, I love the originality of this tutorial, which shows how to decal a penny.

This glitzy penny ring tutorial also caught my eye.  I like unexpected projects.

Projects with copper and mint (like this pretty ring tutorial) are also sure to win my heart.



Before you start rummaging through your change, here are a few ways to clean pennies.

P.S. Law abiding Hubby interrupted this post to point out that "The Currency Act and The Canadian Criminal Code clearly state that no person shall melt down, break up or use otherwise than as currency any coin that is legal tender in Canada" (Source).  Hmmmm.  May I suggest a stealthy penny craft then?  Perhaps some painted pennies on a chic vase?

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