DIY Stamped Graduation Gift

This post is part of a campaign with Shutterfly and LooksiSquare. All opinions are entirely my own.

Hey, friends! As we head quickly toward the end of the school year, how many of you know at least one graduate? He or she might be graduating from high school, college, elementary school, preschool…whatever the case, I bet you know someone who’s closing one chapter of life and opening another. Today I’ve got a simple, meaningful DIY gift idea for you that’s perfect for graduates of all ages. Ok, maybe not the preschool set, but just about everyone else will love it! Take a look:

DIY Hand-Stamped Graduation Gift

The best part about this is that you can totally personalize it based on the coin, the message, and the color rivet you use! I used a 2015 to symbolize the student’s graduation year, but you could also use the year he/she was born or any other significant date. The stone can be a birthstone, a school color, or just a favorite color, and the message can be just about anything you want to say that fits on a penny!

Materials:
– coin with the date of your choice {graduation year is particularly fitting}
– metal stamping hammer
– steel stamping block
– ImpressArt Lollipop Alphabet Set, Uppercase
– Black permanent marker
– Jewelry polishing cloth
– Metal hole punch
– Rivet
– Rivet Setter
– Jump Ring
– Chain
– Needle nose pliers

Step 1: Punch a small hole in the top center of your coin. To do this, I use a 2-Hole Punch that makes things super easy. You just choose the size hold you want, slide the coin in, twist the top of the punch, and voilá!

Step 2: Stamp your message. If you’ve never stamped before, all you do is tape your coin to a steel block, then position one letter stamp at a time, giving it a firm tap with the hammer to impress the letter into the metal. I like to start with the center letter and work my way out toward each side. Coins are a bit harder to stamp on than other kinds of stamping blanks, so be sure to give it a good hard hit. Another good tip is to make sure you have several coins with your desired year, just in case you mess one up {like I did}. Remember, it doesn’t have to look absolutely perfect…letters that are slightly off center or crooked actually add to the handmade effect. For a full step-by-step tutorial on basic stamping techniques, check out this Stamping 101 post, then come on back!

Step 3: Color in your message with a permanent marker, then rub off the excess with a polishing cloth. This makes it stand out from the rest of the impressions on the coin.

Step 4 {optional}: Punch a hole in the bottom center of the coin and add a rivet. I have a step by step tutorial for rivet setting here if you’ve never worked with them before. I know not everyone has all the necessary tools for this part, so if not, you can just use a bead instead…just put a bead on a head pin, make a loop, and add it as a dangling charm that hangs next to the coin.

Step 5: Add a jump ring and chain. If the gift is for a male graduate, you can easily turn it into a keychain instead by adding a jump ring and key ring in place of the necklace chain.

It’s that easy! I’m always a total sucker for handmade gifts, and the more personalized they can be, the better! Speaking of personalized, I absolutely love this year’s graduation announcement/invitation options from Shutterfly. Seriously, where were these when I graduated? I had the “official” announcements that you ordered through the school and they were totally boring…no photos, no personal info, nothing. Now just look at the kind of fun choices today’s graduates have! There are tons of options for formats {vertical, horizontal, square, flat, 3/4 fold, trifold}, sizes {6×8, 5×7, 4×8, 5×5, 4×5}, and trims {square, rounded, bracket, ticket, and scallop}. You can feature a single photo or choose several of your favorites, even importing them from Instagram! And, of course, you can choose a custom color palette to reflect your school colors, not to mention shiny foil-stamped designs. I can tell you right now I’d have been all over that shiny gold striped design myself!

The backs of the announcements can be personalized too with an additional photo and/or message. The sky’s the limit!

There’s something that will appeal to every graduate and let his/her unique personality shine through.

Top L-R: Ticket Trim, Shining So Brightly, Simple Class Collage Bottom L-R: Fun Type Celebration, Gold Stripes, Timeless Tassel

What do you think? Would the graduates in your life love a personalized and meaningful gift? What was your most treasured graduation present?