I Love You Because... Message in a Bottle Key Ring

Here it is - the handmade gift personalized by you for the special guy in your life! Of course, this would make a great women's necklace as well, but you know how hard those guys are to shop for! This is another fabulous Tutorial Exchange project with a glass vial provided by the sweetest Angie of Supply Pusher!

Original tutorial and many more at Shrimp Salad Circus.

Materials

glass vial with top (provided by Supply Pusher)
brass disc with hole
two jump rings
key ring
2 slips of paper cut to the height of the vial
black permanent marker
nice pen
metal letter stamps (provided by Evie's Tool Emporium)
steel bench block
hammer
E-6000 adhesive
steel wool or fine-grit sandpaper

Stamp the Disc

Position your first letter stamp on your starting point on your brass disc atop your bench block. Firmly hit the top of the stamp two to three times with your hammer. I've been informed by a very reputable source that it is better for the lifespan of the stamps if you use a heavy rubber mallet. Continue adding your letters around the circumference of the disc. I ran out of room so resorted to 'b/c' instead of 'because,' but it's my first stamped project, so so be it!

'Patina' the Letters

You could use a chemical oxidizing agent here, but it's much simpler and more accessible to just color in your letters with a black permanent maker. After you've thoroughly filled each letter in, use steel wool or a fine grit sanding sponge to sand off all the marker on the disc. Because they are recessed, the letters will remain darker, and now you also have a nice, industrial look to the disc!

Write the Message

Write the same little love note, poem, or whatever comes to mind on each strip of paper. I used a pretty handmade paper since it will be the focal point of the whole piece.

Put Message in Bottle

Roll one of your notes up as tightly as possible and then drop it into the glass vial.

Seal It Tight

Apply a thin layer of E-6000 around the inside of the vial's cap. Apply the cap and then firmly squeeze it into place for several minute. I blasted it with a hair dryer on high for a few minutes to speed the process along.

Jump Rings

Thread a jump ring through the disc and another through the hole in the vial's cap and then close the rings.

Key Ring

Thread both jump rings onto the key ring. The key ring itself is now complete, but we can't forget the packaging!

Revealing the Message

Put your creation in a little kraft paper box, and wrap the second note around it like a ribbon. Tape the note in place on the bottom of the box. You can then tie a piece of twine or yarn around the whole thing for an elegant but still masculine look.

There you have it - a great gift for that special guy. It's sweet and sentimental enough for him to treasure it but not so mushy as to keep him from using it! Although you do have to make the initial investment in the stamps, you can use them for a plethora of creative projects, so it's well worth it!!!