How to Create Lapel Pins
There are many types of lapel pins you can make, but the classic round, flat metal pins can be hard to make by hand. A relatively economical substitute could be right in front of you: coins. If you can spare the change, a coin can be an elegant base for a hand-painted lapel pin. Of course, you don't have to use your hard-earned cash: old tokens and flattened souvenir pennies work just as well.
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Things You'll Need
- Coin
- Nail polish or enamel paint
- Paintbrush, size 2 or smaller
- Felt
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Pen or fabric marker
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Safety pin or tie tack backing
Instructions
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1
Paint a background color over the coin with the nail polish or enamel. You may have to use more than one coat, especially if you use nail polish. It's better to apply a couple of thin coats than it is to use one thick one. A thick coat looks sloppy and it takes longer to dry.
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2
Paint a design over the background when the coin is dry. Simple shapes, letters, and numbers work best because they're easy to paint and they're more visible.
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3
Measure and cut the felt. You will have to adjust the measurements of the felt strip according to the size of the coin you wish to use. The width of the felt should be 1 1/2 times the width of the coin. The length of the felt should be 2 1/2 times the width of the coin.
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4
Lay the felt rectangle on a flat surface so that the 1-inch sides are on the top and bottom and the two-inch sides are on the left and right. Use the hot glue gun to attach the coin to the bottom end.
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5
Trace the bottom half on the coin with the pen. Trim along the edge.
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6
Turn the felt around so that the coin is at the top of the rectangle and the design is upside down. Stick the safety pin or the tie tack through the bottom end.
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7
Fold the rectangle in half. Tuck the bottom part of the rectangle to the inside edge of your shirt and pin it in place. The top half should hang over the outside to display the coin.
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Tips & Warnings
For a coin-rubbing look, dry-brush the surface of the coin so that some of the original design shows through. You don't have to paint the coins at all. If you're not a collector, foreign coins can look beautiful just on their own. If you don't have coins, buttons are a colorful and casual substitute. Lightly sand the button's surface with a nail file or fine sandpaper so that it absorbs the paint more easily.
Always be careful around a glue gun. Do not let it overheat, and do not let children use it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit coin image by Petr Gnuskin from Fotolia.com
