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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 50 mins

How To-sday - 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!

Posted by Shrimp Salad Circus • Published 24th November 2009 • See Shrimp Salad Circus's 23 projects »

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Step 1
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!
Step 2
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!
Step 3
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.
Step 4
Roll one of your notes up as tightly as possible and then drop it into the glass vial.
Step 5
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.
Step 6
Thread a jump ring through the disc and another through the hole in the vial's cap and then close the rings.
Step 7
Thread both jump rings onto the key ring. The key ring itself is now complete, but we can't forget the packaging!
Step 8
Put your creation in a little kraft paper box, and wrap the second note around it like a ribbon. This way, he'll be able to read the message in the bottle! Tape the note in place on the bottom of the box. Make sure that he doesn't rip the note off when opening the box! You can then tie a piece of twine or yarn around the whole thing for an elegant but still masculine look.
Step 9
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!!!