Altered Coin Holder Project

I’ve been intrigued by altered coin holders since I saw my very first one last year in “Altered Everything” by Beth Cote. I even decided quickly what the theme of my first one would be. When I discovered the new family-themed products from Flair, I knew the time had come for me to get to work.

I used a silver dollar holder so that I would have a fairly large circular area to insert my photos. This particular one folded open into a triptych with each section containing openings for nine coins. I decided to only use two of these sections. I used one section of the holder as matting for photos of my sisters and myself, and I covered the other with journaling.

The only photo that I could find of all eight of us together was taken on a sad occasion so I didn’t want to use it. I found my solution staring down at me from the living room wall where Mom keeps all of our graduation photos on display. Next came the chore of scanning and resizing each of the photos. This took more time than the creative work that followed. It’s kind of neat that I show us all at age 18, give or take a few months, when in fact 20 years separates the oldest (my sister Sue) from the youngest (me).

The coin holder that I used was made of two layers: the heavyweight tag board that the circles were cut into and the thin paper backing to which each were attached. I used an exacto knife to cut away one of the tag board sections. Next I used the knife to separate the tag board from the paper on the left side of the holder. Removing it makes it possible to place the photos behind it rather than having to cut each photo into a circle to fit the openings. I also took this opportunity to cover the front side of the tag board with patterned paper, using the exacto knife again to cut the center of the circles away.

Before reassembling, I also covered both sides of the original paper backing with my own paper choices. After reattaching the section that holds my photos, I began work on the right side. I cut a piece of tag board the same dimensions as that in the holder. I attached my paper with the journaling to it and glued it on top of the coin holder on this half of the book. The extra thickness makes the holder a bit sturdier and effectively conceals the circular openings.

Lastly I added some finishing touches to the outside of the holder to make it more inviting. A ribbon was also used as a closure to hold together the finished product.

It was a very fulfilling project. It made me feel even closer to my siblings and allowed me to try out a technique that I’ve been contemplating for a year. If you decide to make one of your own, be sure to share it here at Scrapjazz. I’d love to see it!

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