Not everyone wears jewelry, but everyone uses key rings. Making a key ring is a different twist on jewelry making, since a key ring doesn't have to coordinate with an outfit or style. At this time of the year, Western styles are popular, since it's Stock Show time.

You'll enjoy using embossing metal from the craft store to make this western inspired key ring, and since Valentine's Day is coming up, we've chosen a heart motif for the design element. But you could use anything -- monogramming is so popular right now -- make one as a gift using the recipient's initials as the basis for the design.

Working with this material is easy and fun. But sometimes the projects come out looking as if they were made from shiny aluminum foil rather than this nice soft metal product. I've tried, through the use of sandpaper and a black marker, to give this project a richer look, more like what silver looks like.

If you look at a piece of silver jewelry, you'll notice that some of the recessed areas are black. This is referred to as "oxidized." The contrast of the black areas with the silver is what gives the piece depth and interest. We're going to duplicate that effect here.

The other problem presented by the embossing metal is that it is so flat. I've solved that by using a scrap of foam core board inside the piece to give it thickness and a totally different feeling.

As always, be sure to read all the way through the directions before starting your project. And by all means, use these techniques to make pins, necklaces and bracelets, as well.

What You Need

Embossing metal, pewter color
Embossing tool (one comes in the kit) or used up ball point pen
Scrap of 1/4" foam core board
X acto knife, ruler
Permanent black magic marker
Fine grade sand paper
Junky scissors
Sharpie fine point marker
Hammer and awl
Super glue or metal glue
Key ring from the hardware store

What To Do

1.Use ruler and X acto knife to cut a 2" x 2" square of foam core.

2.Use scissors to cut a piece of the embossing metal the size of the foam core, 2" x 2." Cut another square 3" x 3." Before starting on the actual project cut a small piece of the embossing metal and practice on it with the embossing tool, to get the feel for how it works. Practice embossing lines on both sides, see what look you like the best. Try patterns of dots, or crosshatches. Remember to keep your designs simple.

3.First, draw a simple pattern of checks or lines all across the smaller square. This will become the back of the key ring. Emboss as below in step 5.

4.Use the sharpie marker to mark off a 2" x 2" square on what will be the "wrong" side of the larger piece of metal. Inside that square, outline your design. Simple is best: just the outline of a heart, for example, or the recipient's initials, if making for a gift.

5.Lay the piece of metal you are going to emboss in a magazine atop your work surface. You need something kind of soft underneath the metal, so there is something to press into. Use the embossing tool to press into the metal as you trace the design you have drawn. Next, draw simple patterns of lines or checks to form borders around the design, going all the way out to the edge.

6.When you have finished embossing, flip the pieces of metal to their right sides. Lightly go over the entire surface of both with a black marking pen. Use sand paper to sand off most of the black. Sand in various directions to give the metal a burnished patina.

7. Apply dot of glue on back side of smaller metal square. Lay foam core piece directly on top of it. Let dry. Invert, placing other side of foam core atop large metal piece, centering it. Use scissors to trim ends of metal into edge of foam core. Fold two opposite sides of border onto back side of piece, add small amount of glue to hold. Fold other sides over as before, affixing with glue, trimming edges if needed.

Use hammer and awl to punch hold in one corner. Use pencil or other similar object to pry key ring open wide enough to slide it through hole in key chain fob.