Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Dog Tags

Recycle your old dog tags.

Every January our dogs need newly purchased dog tags, and every so often new rabies shots, that also come with tags.

Don't toss these in the trash.

If you do not keep a scrapbook for your dogs, you can use the metal dog tags for other art projects.

Here are several ideas I have come up with (I apologize for not having photos of each of them, as I have not saved enough tags for this).  

1.  Make a bracelet by connecting each tag together, end to end with jump rings attached in between them.  The oval tags we get each year have a hole in each end.  If your dog tags do not, you can drill a hole also.  Check craft stores for jump rings and attachments for the ends of your bracelet.

2.  Make a necklace by connecting tags together as mentioned in #1 (above) or simply attaching a jump ring and adding a chain.  Create a choker by attaching 1 or one with jump rings, and adding cording or chain for each end.

3. Make a small wind chime.  Run fishing line through holes of a recycled tin can or lid (or any other useable piece) and tie them in place.  Cut the lines at different lengths, so that when you tie on dog tags to the opposite end they clink in the wind.

4. Mount old dog tags in a shadow box, along with other items your dogs grows out of. Add photos and embellish it.

5. Create word art jewelry by turning the dog tags over, and decoupaging words cut from old book pages or magazines.  Use them for creating earrings, necklaces or bracelets.

6.  Make a bookmark by crocheting a string of chains, and attaching the dog tag at one end.  Add a small tassel or add another dog tag at the opposite end.

7.  Engrave the blank side of a dog tag for jewelry art, embellishing items or scrapbooking.


8.  Put them in your kids "rainy day" boxes.  Kids can come up with the wildest ideas.

9.  Paint on them and use them for another purpose - jewelry, scrapbooking, bookmarks etc.

10.  Embellish dogs tags with ideas mentioned above, and attach a split ring or other strong metal ring to create fun zipper pulls.

11.  Embellish Christmas ornaments by attaching them to various recycled items (lids, scrap fabric, etc.).

2 comments:

Karrieann said...

I have hung onto all of my dogs' tags. Still not sure what I will end up doing with them. Your post sure has some good ideas... for now my tags will stay in the special box.megativ

Unknown said...

Wind chime and zipper pulls are great ideas. Thank you!