Turning Old, Brass Hardware into Pretty Paperweights

If you look closely for the small things we tend to overlook when searching for design elements, you can discover a treasure trove of findings you can use to create some very beautiful and unique paperweights.

This paperweight was created with a brass key hole cover I found while sifting through a $1.00 box at an antique flea market.  The only other items required for the design include a couple pieces of scrapbook paper.

Pictured above are the elements needed to create this paperweight.  They include a paperweight kit (PhotoWeights: Round), key hole cover, a small piece of black, textured paper, and a swatch of scrapbook paper.  I used paper from a paper pad (MME #P0R6X6, Cowboy) that resembles an old, French newspaper.

The first step is to cover the self-adhesive mounting board (included with each paperweight kit) with the paper being used as the background.  Trim any paper that extends beyond the edge of the board.

Center the key hole cover onto the mounting board, or place it in the desired location.  Using a pen or pencil, outline the key hole opening and mark the location of any nail holes.

Nail holes are relatively small, so the area behind them can be blacked out with pen.  For the key hole opening, I glued a small piece of textured, black paper over the area that will be visible.

Because the back of they key hole cover is not smooth, and doesn't have any flat surfaces, I used hot melt glue to apply it to the background.  Keep the glue away from the key and nail openings.  Also be careful not to burn yourself.  When you're using hot glue on metal, the entire piece will heat up.

After you've cleaned your paperweight with streak-free glass cleaner, and removed any dust or particles from the paperweight and your artwork, place the mounting board face-down into the recessed area on the bottom of the paperweight.

To finish, place the plush, self-adhesive bottom pad over the base of the paperweight.


I hope this project will inspire you to see the design possibilities in objects you may not have looked for in the past.