Typewriter Key Jewelry

While typewriters aren't something most of us use anymore, if you have one sitting in your cellar or at the back of a closet, you might want to give it another look if you are at all handy. Typewriter key jewelry is all the rage nowadays, for bracelets, pendants and neat pins and keyrings.

My favorite typewriter key jewelry is made from the original vintage typewriter keys coming from old manual typewriters. The classics are made by Smith Corona, Remington and Underwood. But those are just a few of the major typewriter manufacturers from days gone by. There's also lots of jewelry being made with reproductions of old typewriter keys so if you want authentic vintage goods, be on the look-out for those when you shop.

Of course, we are getting to the point where virtually any typewriter might be considered vintage, but we aren't there yet! Typewriters are still made and purchased today. This might surprise you if you have only ever typed on a computer keyboard, but honestly typewriters are a lot more convenient for some things (such as envelopes and filling out forms) than the computer.

But enough about business, we're here to talk about jewelry. The first time I ever saw typewriter key jewelry was on a crafting site called Craftster. It was a very cool bracelet. But it wasn't long before this jewelry style started popping up all over the place and you'll find plenty of jewelry makers who use vintage typewriter keys on websites such as Etsy and Ebay.

There are a lot of Etsy artists making typewriter key jewelry, so it wouldn't even be possible for me to link to all of them, but it's easy enough to check out their website and do a search if you are looking for something special.

But I do have a couple off favorite Etsy artists that are selling typewriter key jewelry, so you should definitely check out what they have to offer.

The first is GwenDelicious. I really like her simple typewriter key pendants. Rimmed in silver, they have a clean and elegant look to them.

In addition to the pendants, her shop also features typewriter key cufflinks. Be sure to look for the custom jewelry made from the striker keys found inside old typewriters too if you want something quite different.

For some more ornate pieces, take a look at these typewriter key rings by KeysandMemories. The original vintage typewriter key is mounted onto a silver filigree ring. The rings are adjustable.

The shop also features some neat pendants using typewriter keys, and for something different, look for the jewelry made with Scrabble tiles.

Etsy isn't the only place to find typewriter key jewelry. It's all over Ebay as well. These are some examples of the jewelry made available there.

If you would rather make your own typewriter key jewelry, but don't have access to a vintage typewriter of your own, Ebay and Etsy are also both good places to find parts -- so you should be able to pick up a bag of keys.

In the long run, it will be cheaper to just buy the keys rather than a whole typewriter, especially as intact vintage typewriters are a collectible in their own right and can often be quite expensive (not to mention heavy, think of the shipping!)