If you’ve got a mere handful of pennies to work with, consider turning your 1 cent into a tiny piece of art with Pennysmash.   For a mere $2.01—two dollars for the art plus your sacrificed penny—you can choose from four different designs by Canadian artists Douglas Coupland, Marian Bantjes, Burton Kramer, and Paul Butler.  Simply insert your penny, hand-crank the Pennysmash machine, and wait for your fancy new art piece to pop out.  Ever flatten a penny at a cheesy tourist rest-stop when you were a kid?  This is just like that – but cooler.  The best part?  A portion of all proceeds go to Sketch – a community based arts organization that engages homeless youth.

Not sure what to do with your flatted penny?  You can always donate it to the Penny Project.  Medical student and artist Julia has been collecting flattened pennies from all over the world since she was a kid.  The ultimate goal is to turn all of the collected pennies into a coffee table and conversation piece.  So far Julia has flattened pennies from all over the U.S. and various other places world wide, but she’s only got one from Canada!  Julia credits each contributor on her website and showcases each individual penny received.

If you have a few more pennies in your piggy bank to work with and like me, have a fondness for copper and unique details, consider using your DIY skills to turn your pennies into accessories or home decor items.  I am mildly obsessed with these rounded penny buttons, in no small part due to the required use of a mallet, but these flat buttons would also add a great military inspired touch to your spring wardrobe.  Pennies clean up super easily using vinegar and salt and once scrubbed have a beautiful copper shine.  Even better, if you’ve got older pennies (pre 1960s work best given the high copper content), you can use the cleaning solution to create a pale turqoise stain for other projects! (Note: there are several different methods out there for creating this stain, some of which say it will work with any year. Experiment and let us know what worked best for you!).  Projects shown below require only a few simple tools and supplies (a drill, super glue, vinegar, etc.)

Finally, if you’re one of those people with a giant pickle jar full of pennies (and also happen to be extremely patient), consider turning the tiny copper disks into tiles.  I’ve seen pennies used to cover surfaces of desks, walls, and even floors.  Check out Mi Case Mundial for detailed steps to creating your very own penny tiled floor.

In Kathrine Grey’s novel the reader will bounce back and forth from Aisley’s life at age fifteen and then her life fifteen years later. When Aisley turns fifteen she decides to travel down the “forbidden” railroad trestle near her house. She meets a teenage runaway and they spend the rest of the summer together. One day he disappears and Aisley never hears from him again. Fifteen years later, Aisley is brought back to her hometown because of her grandfather’s illness. She has never forgotten that one summer and she is determined to find her fist love from all those years ago and happiness.

Honestly, when I first started reading this book I didn’t think I was going to like it. But, I ended up being so wrong! Kathrine Grey wrote the story so beautifully, both when Aisley was a teenager and when she was an adult. I found myself falling in love with Aisley and wanting her to find the boy from all those years ago.

Also I really liked the whole railroad and train theme throughout the whole book. I thought it made for an interesting backdrop and I learned a lot about railroads. I also understood, as someone who likes to travel, the appeal of trains and the railroad.

I would most certainly recommend this book. It was fabulous and a fairly quick read. I don’t want to spoil the book, but I absolutely loved the ending. And I’m very impressed that Kathrine Grey wrote the whole novel in thirty days. Oh, and it makes my day when the author signs the book. To me it shows how genuine they are and how important their readers are to them.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Read. I was not required to write a review and this review contains my honest opinion.

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The Lucky Penny Necklace is a rustic design that has been one of the most popular that I have ever made!  A portion of the proceeds from all sales goes to support those who have mental illness.  The idea behind this design is to inspire those you love to remember to always keep going no matter what life brings us.

I have an uncle with down syndrome and he has shown me throughout my life that it’s all about the way you choose to look at life.  We all are lucky and it’s never a bad idea to keep a small reminder around to appreciate what we have and who we have.

The penny is wrapped in gold-filled wire accented by a small Amethyst. Some customers have requested specific years because it is a birthday gift for a loved one.  All are approximately 16.5 inched in length,  but custom lengths are available upon request.