Decorating on a dime… with penny mosaic tiles.
Copper has always been a favorite metal. Those looking for that warm feeling and who want to save money on tile are using penny mosaic tiles for flooring and more. The floor of this rustic bathroom is covered in pennies. While it was done by a contractor, a DIY job requires the same smooth substrate or else every bump will show. The teal stained vanity has a (what else) copper bucket, handle included, for a sink. Notice the exposed copper piping faucet used here that was mentioned on Atticmag earlier this month. The antique hand-painted toilet, purchased in France, is a luxurious touch.
Pennies are also popping up on walls, counters and on the backsplash. This homeowner used pennies between the counter and raised bar. Modwalls, a high end tile source, sells sheets of actual penny mosaic tiles that can be cut and installed easily in small (or large) spaces
A sample board shows the variety of colors pennies can turn. Older pennies are better suited for decorating if you’re after patina. Between 1962 and 1982 pennies were almost pure copper. Since then, they have been made with a zinc core and thin plating of copper on the outside. For a natural patina, leave them outside in the weather for a month, or continually wet and let dry until they have turned the desired color. A green patina can be achieved by making a salt water mixture and spraying until the copper reaches the desired stage. You can also place the material in an airtight container and cover with salt overnight. A night in pool chlorine will also accomplish the green patina.
Torching is another option with the color turning gold, orange, pink, purple, dark blue, light blue then black, or they can be evenly heated in an oven. Both of these methods can be stopped by placing the pennies in the freezer or by covering them with water.
For a blue or blue-green patina, dip in vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt. Seal them a plastic bag or covered container with a small bowl of ammonia. This color can also be achieved by placing ammonia soaked paper towels sprinkled with sea salt in a container, place the pennies on top of the paper towels, then cover with additional ammonia soaked and sea salt sprinkled towels.
To achieve a black finish, use an oven cleaner, such as Easy Off. On the opposite end of the spectrum, pennies will look sparkling new after soaked in Tarn-X.
(Sources: Red Rock Contractors, Alpen Tile, Tumblr, Magpie Gemstones)
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This is fabulous and a little crazy.
I think it would push Mr Shops over the edge. ;D
I really want to do this – one day! and I’ve heard that one way to change the colour is to soak them in pee…
Let me know how that turns out, Tricia! ;D I’ve never tested the old wives tale on a jellyfish sting either.
Copper oxides in contact with air and moisture and is reactive with different acids. Why you get green patina on a copper roof f.ex. It’s oxidation. Also why copper oxide, which is the dark/dirty stuff that forms in reaction to air can be cleaned with a vinegar/salt solution. Don’t know enough chemistry to say what’s in urine (and who even wants to know) but stands to reason since, for sure, it’s acidic.
Is it legal to do that with legal tender??? (I seriously don’t know).
I seriously do not know either. What about the machines that press images into pennies? (I think they are still around, my children are grown!) There are jewelry makers that put holes in pennies and monogram names/dates on them and sell.
Oh I didn’t mean it confrontationally, just out of curiosity. Always wondered about those machines and coin jewelry, too (though maybe the coin jewelry is made with out of circulation coins…..?).
I asked Mr Shops about the machines and he said now they are copper looking, but not pennies. The jewelry I saw this week was made out of the current pennies. One of my favorite necklaces is made from a 1942 Liberty half dollar (silver) and a 1935 British penny (bronze) with King George V. They are the same size and cupped, so that when they are together, they make a puffed pendant. I love the sound they make when they click together.
I came across a Baggie with some “foreign” currency while clearing out some old boxes. Our bank doesn’t exchange coins (for American $) apparently. Maybe a coin necklace would be a fun way to use them!
The machines I’ve seen press an actual penny that you drop in…
But what I really want to say is how much I love, love, love the penny floor. So like our inset penny round tile rug in our entry, but REAL. It’d be fun to see how the color changed and varied through use. In a bathroom, like above, there might be more of a cleaning challenge, and care needed in cleaning products. Except when we had the puppy :-/ , the entry doesn’t need to be sanitized the same way.
The pee may work because urine has ammonia in it, and ammonia causes oxidation of metals. To go that route, it’s way easier (and more sanitary) to just spray with ammonia.
I didn’t know about the salt, but a few years ago I had one of those mirrored vanity trays that had metal handles. The tray had this old Art Nouveau look but the metal was new and shiny looking. I sprayed it with ammonia and vinegar several times and let it sit for a few days. It began oxidizing and got this beautiful green and white patina, making the tray look a lot more sophisticated.
$2.56 a square foot in pennies, not counting the cost of the grout.
We have premade 11″ x 11″ really penny tile sheets with fiberglass mesh backing at http://www.kvsmintcointile.com . Check us out!
Nice bathroom floor. I found more pictures of pennies on walls and floors here:
http://www.real-penny-tile-projects-made-easy.com/pictures-of-pennies-installed-as-mosaic-tile-sheets-on-wall-floor-backsplash-real-coin-penny-tile.html
They are truly gorgeous.