DIY: Silverware Cheese Markers

I love vintage and I love to repurpose.  What better than to be able to combine the two?  Today I’ve got a fun DIY that would be great for gifts or to have on hand for yourself.  Do you know anyone who loves cheese?  Hubby and I made these for my MIL for Mother’s Day and she loved them!  They’ll go wonderfully with the slate cheese board we got her for Christmas.

What You’ll Need:

Silverware

Hammer(s) (standard to flatten the silverware and mallet for your metal stamps)

Bench Block or Concrete Surface

Metal Stamps

Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker

Sand Paper

First things first.  Hammer your silverware flat by laying it face down on a bench block or concrete surface, securing the handles (I used my foot) and hammering until flat.  You may need to flip the silverware a couple of times to make sure they’re completely flat, and don’t forget to flatten the handles, too.

Next you’ll want to separate the spoon tops and fork tines from the handles.  I simply bent them back and forth over the edge of a brick until they popped apart.  I then “sanded” the rough ends of the silverware against the concrete until smooth.

Now it’s time to stamp.  We found it best to place a piece of thin cardboard or the sandpaper underneath the silverware to cushion it enough that it doesn’t bounce and mess up your lettering when stamping.  Align your first letter stamp on the silverware and do one strong hit.  If you use enough force, you shouldn’t need to hammer each letter more than once, but if you need to (we did a couple times), carefully realign the letter stamp and do one more strong hit.  Continue with each letter until finished.  Keep in mind, you will be filling the indent with sharpie, so if the letters don’t seem to pop the way you want now, they will.

Almost done!  Using your ultra fine point permanent marker, trace the indent of the letters, then smooth the surface of the silverware with the sandpaper to clean off any excess marker.

Did you notice I didn’t stamp my fork tines?  Well they were a little too small for the size metal stamps I have (5/16 inch).  If your stamps are smaller or your fork tines larger, they should work.  The solution?  Fork tines can be used with a fine tip dry erase marker for custom cheeses.  Crisis averted!

Not only are these a great addition to your cheese and wine parties, but the possibilities are endless with silverware: garden markers, wall hooks, place cards, table numbers.  What are you going to make with your silverware?

UPDATE: Tiffany Lane Handmade is featured on GoodHousekeeping.com. Check out the slideshow!