Turning Old Silverware into new jewelry

I like to visit antique stores in search of old stuff (Duh!!). A trip to the North Carolina mountains produced some great finds. I marked the old silverware with a red line and asked my husband to cut at the mark. It's not as easy as it looks, but he's a big, strong guy :) 

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The cut ends were ragged and sharp, so I shaped and softened them. But...how was this piece going to hang from a chain or as earrings? 

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Holes were drilled! Click on the link for making old coins into jewelry and you'll see how I drilled through metal. Same process.

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The silver-plate silverware pieces were polished until they shined, keeping in mind they were someone's well-loved eating utensils. Now it's time to make jewelry. Sometimes I add a little bling (notice the red crystals). This is a matching set of earrings and a necklace. Other times, the silverware stands alone (no bling) and is truly beautiful. This is a wonderful way to reclaim something old and make it new again and create jewelry with a bit of history. 

Find more of these pieces at  /store/c1/Featured_Products.html or at Hendywood on Etsy http://www.hendywood.etsy.com

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