19 February 2012

Weekend DIY: Creative Reuse of Spoons

So you thought spoons were for eating, right? But what next? What happens when they get "downgraded" to antiques and get into the hell of spoons - a dark forgotten drawer?

Today I have news for you, spoons in far and distant corners, you will be awakened to the afterlife of glamorous usefulness again. With just a little love you can be transformed into placeholders and reclaim your place on the table, only you will be starring in a new role; or you can be worn as shiny rings on a gentle ladies' fingers.

I am enchanted by repurposing and that is why today I want to bring to your attention two DIY projects that include exactly that - the creative reuse of objects with a totally different first "call".

The first project features amazing photos and you can easily follow it even without reading the instructions. For those of you who like rustic decoration, these spoons reborn as name cards will be the main conversation starter.

Photos courtesy of elizabethannedesigns.com

What you need to make the hammered spoon place cards is, among other things, a hammer or two, a metal stamp set, some sand paper and a lot of excitement! Visit the step-by-step tutorial on elizabethannedesigns.com.

If you are in the mood for old-time flirting, why not consider making a spoon ring! I have been continuously impressed with the way forks and spoons change their purpose - from a tool for eating to a piece of jewelry. What an amazing journey! But do you know the history of spoon rings?

According to popular belief they originated in the 17th century and were used as wedding bands by servants, who usually were too poor to buy real rings. Silver spoon rings have remained popular through the years and even nowadays they are a common choice for showing commitment.

Here is a video that impressed me some months ago and made me roam the thrift stores to find a silver spoon and try it out myself!


What are you crafting today?

9 comments:

  1. How fun! I have always wanted to know how to do this and didn't have any idea what I needed or how to do it. I have seen the scripted spoon used as place tags for an herb garden and just loved it! I must go see if I can find the letter stamps...any ideas where they are sold?
    No crafting for me today though...I am cleaning out my closet...time for some decluttering.
    Thanks for this great idea and the ideas it has now sparked!
    Have a great day!

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  2. I love repurposed spoons, too! I can never find good ones at thrift stores (I guess I have just really crappy thrift stores) but I didn't know they were used as rings for wedding bands--that's really neat

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  3. Such fabulous ideas! I never would have thought of the place cards. Thanks so much for finding all these great projects for us Sonya!

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  4. I love the spoon placecards, what an original idea! :)

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  5. Those spoon placecards are fantastic, I love them! In fact, I've seen a whole bunch of vintage spoon creations on Etsy, and I love the look of them all. :) So gorgeous and old-fashioned!

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  6. Very cool ideas! I have also recently seen spoons made into key chains, curtain tie-backs and even hanging plant hooks. I just love the idea of using something old and beautiful for a new purpose. :)

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  7. I made some silver-spoon placecards a couple of years ago for a dinner party, definitely a success! If you're looking for the metal stamps, I found the lowest price on EBay, paradise for the crafter on a budget! And it took me a couple of months rummaging through the thrift stores to find the spoons.

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