How to Make Jewelry Out of a Spoon

Spoons can be made into jewelry.

Making jewelry out of spoons is a unique craft and a good way to recycle spoons that are no longer part of a set. Spoons can be used to make rings, bracelets earrings and pendants. Jewelry can be made with any metal spoons, but sterling silver and stainless steel spoons are the most popular since they are easier to find. Spoons can be found at flea markets, discount stores and estate sales, and even your own kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber band
• Table vise
• Hack saw
• Emory paper or soft file
• Mandrel
• Rubber mallet
• Drill
• Decorative beads and crystals
• Instant adhesive
• Jewelry bail
• Flat-nosed pliers

Instructions

1. Wrap a rubber band around the spoon just below the spoon bucket. Place the spoon in the vise, closing the vise around the rubber band. This will protect the spoon from being scratched or dented.

2. Saw the spoon bucket away from the spoon handle with the hack saw.

3. Smooth the rough edges on the spoon handle and spoon bucket using the emory paper or file.

4. To make a ring, wrap the spoon handle around the mandrel at the desired ring size. Use a rubber mallet, if needed. Remove the spoon handle from the mandrel, place the rubber band back on the spoon handle and place the ring back into the vise. Saw away the excess spoon handle with the hack saw. Smooth rough edges using the emory paper or file.

5. To make a cuff bracelet, place the spoon handle on a bracelet-sized mandrel. Use the rubber mallet to round the spoon handle around the mandrel to complete the shape.

6. To make a pendant, choose the beads, crystals and other decorative jewels you would like to use to decorate the spoon barrel. Drill a 1/8-inch hole in the spoon barrel 1/4 inch from the saw cut (the flat edge of the barrel). Apply instant adhesive to the decorative pieces and attach them to the spoon barrel in a pattern of your choice. Attach the bail to the spoon barrel by sliding the bail pointer through the hole in the spoon barrel and clamping the teeth to the other side of the barrel with flat-nosed pliers.

Tips & Warnings

• Another variation for a bracelet: Use two spoon handles of the same pattern and drill holes in each end of the spoon handles. Attach the spoon handles with jump rings and a large decorative stone in a cabochon on one end, and a clasp and ring on the other end.

• The more decorative the spoon handle, the fancier the jewelry. Plain handles can be embellished with crystals, beads or wire-wrapping techniques.

• When using the spoon barrel as a pendant, the barrel can be drilled 1/4 inch from any edge and decorated on either side.

• Though not necessary, you can heat the spoon with a torch before sawing; however, this could damage the spoon barrel, making it unusable in other jewelry projects.

• Try to avoid using cheaper spoons for this project. Stainless steel and sterling silver have a longer life and are less likely to spot or flake.