Easy Mexican Punched Tin Napkin Rings

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I always seem to miss getting pictures of one project at the actual party.  At the Dia de los Muertos party, it was these napkin rings:

DIY napkin rings made to look like traditional Mexican punched tin work.

I've long been a fan of traditional Mexican punched tin work, like the mirrors being created by the tin artist from Mexicanbeautygiftshop.com

Mexican artist making traditional punched tin mirror.

I knew I wanted to incorporate some of that look in my Day of the Dead party, and came up with idea of making some simple napkin rings with the look of punched tin.

I knew I didn't want sharp edges, and I knew I didn't want to spend much in the way of materials and equipment.  After a  few experiments, I found that heavy duty aluminum foil folded into strips was the perfect material for my craft.

Materials for making Mexican punched tin napkin rings.

The aluminum foil was incredibly easy to manipulate and cut, and was easily available at my grocery store.  I could use the leftovers for cooking, too--much better than storing random craft supplies indefinitely!  (Since I can never seem to part with my leftovers typically, knowing that someday I'll come up with a great use for them again.)

A hammer and a set of leather stamping tools were all I needed to create my napkin rings.

I used a piece of scrap wood to protect my counter as I was working.  All I needed to do was set my stamp where I wanted the design, and give it a few good taps with the hammer.  The stamp easily made a lovely impression in the soft metal.

Mexican Punched Tin Napkin Rings, one containing a white napkin.

I used a little hot glue to connect the aluminum in a ring form, but easily could have just folded and crimped the ends together if I didn't have glue handy.  

The whole project cost less than $15, and I could have made hundreds of napkin rings with a single roll of aluminum foil.  the most expensive element was the set of leather stamps, which cost $10.18 (using my 40% off coupon).  And those, I'm sure, I'll find a use for again!  At least they're small and easy to store, unlike the full size sarcophagus I made for my daughter's birthday last year.

Other Mexican Party Ideas:

Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

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