Butterfly charm

Hand crafted from recycled piano keys and each engraved with a miniature butterfly (drawn by my friend, Ethan Danielson), these start life as the little tiny bits in front of the black notes on trashed pianos. I source them from a piano bashing place, wash them and sand off the corners and send them to my engraver.

You can attach the charm to scissors or your project case. I have even seen them as earrings. Supplied with a hand-crafted twisted cord. Each charm varies slightly but measures around 2 x 1in (5 x 2.5cm).

I am sure that you know that, in the past, piano keys were covered with fine pieces of ivory which is thankfully now outlawed. My husband bought himself the most beautiful baby grand piano when he retired from his real day job and the keys look as if they are still ivory but are a modern replica.

I collect old and scruffy piano keys from a variety of sources and I love the fact that they can be upcycled in this way. I like dreaming up images that seem to sit well with stitching, so the acorn, strawberry, butterfly and dragonfly were easy choices – perhaps a wren next?