This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone.

There is nothing quite like music. Hearing lyrics from an old favorite can quickly evoke memories of key moments of my life, where I was, what I was doing, or even precisely how I was feeling at that very moment. Don’t you agree? Hearing music reminds me of the connections I have with those I love, or even helps me to tap into my inner self that I sometimes lose as a mom. 

For the past several years, my high school friends and I have made a point of doing annual reunions together, weekend trips to reconnect with ourselves and each other. We don’t all get to go every year, but we do try, and there’s always dancing … like on our trip last June to New Orleans. (We’re actually headed to Key West in one week! OMG I can’t wait!)

When I look back over our years of friendship, much of our experiences together have been accompanied by music. Like that time when we took a class trip from Florida to Boston. We saw an amazing IMAX film about the Great Barrier Reef and then proceeded to act like dorks, putting the words “Great Barrier Reef” into every song we loved. Or the slumber parties where we stayed up late until the wee hours watching MTV, having dance parties and playing air guitar with our legs. One of my most precious memories of our friend Dina (who we lost in 2010) is sitting with her to watch the world premiere video of “Welcome to the Jungle.” She and I were huge headbangers and connected for the first time over that historic musical moment. Every time I think about it, it brings back happiness and tears. 

Recently Coca-Cola introduced bottles and cans with song lyrics on them. I was shopping and saw a Dad and son rummaging through the bottles looking at the lyrics, oohing and awing at each one. I had to laugh because I was about to write this post about the Share a Coke and a Song campaign, and at that moment in the store, I witnessed song lyrics bringing people together. I think everyone has some kind of special connection with music. What do these lyrics say to you when you see them?

So today, in honor of Share a Coke and a Song, I’m sharing a tutorial for making DIY music-themed jewelry. Jewelry-making is one of the ways that I used to express myself before kids. I have so many memories creating it for friends and family and for myself. I even had a little online shop at one point. But it’s something I’ve lost in recent years. I can’t tell you how lovely it’s felt taking the time to make jewelry for this post. 

But before I get to the full tutorial, I wanted to share information about an awesome sweepstakes from Coca-Cola™:

Enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the American Music Awards® and more.

Snap a selfie with your favorite lyrics on a Share a Coke® bottle or can*

Upload your selfie to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ShareaCokeSweepstakes

Enter up to 12 times to increase your chances of winning a trip for 2 to the 2016 American Music Awards®, along with hundreds of other great prizes! Including: wireless headphones, wireless speakers, a 1 year Premium Music App Membership or a $50 Music Gift Card

 I want to win that trip, don’t you? I’d love to go to the American Music Awards and take my friends along with me. Now that would make for an incredible annual girls reunion trip!

How to Make Music-Themed Jewelry

What You’ll Need:

Sheet Music

Coffee Sleeve (or other cardboard)

Coca-Cola (plus Bottle Cap) and Coffee Grounds

Paint Brush

Sealant and Glue

Hole Punch and Scissors

Small Jump Rings (in 2 sizes)

Earring Findings

Large Metal Circles (same circumference as your bottle cap)

Flat Jewelry-Making Pliers (2 pairs)

Music-Themed Stickers

Step 1: Cut out Circles.

Using the bottle cap, trace out circles on the sheet music and the cardboard coffee sleeve. For the earrings, you’ll need 2 sheet music and 2 cardboard circles. For the necklcace, you’ll just need one circle of cardboard. Cut the sheet music circle, a 1/4 of an inch beyond your traced line. 

Step 2: Antique Circles of Sheet Music

To give the sheet music an antiqued look, you’ll soak them in Coca-Cola. I also added a bit of coffee grounds to help darken it. You can of course skip this step if you prefer the white sheet music for your jewelry, but this just gives it a little something extra. Soak for an hour or so and then let dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process if you’d like. 

Step 3: Seal the Cardboard Circles and Decoupage the Sheet Music and Stickers

First punch a hole in the cardboard you will be using for your necklace. Then you will want to seal both sides of your recycled cardboard circles with a sealant. Put coats on each side and let dry. After these are fully sealed you’ll then do the following:

For the necklace, affix a music themed sticker onto one of the cardboard circles and liberally brush with sealant. Let fully dry at least 30 minutes and continue to brush on multiple coats until it is fully protected and strong. I did about 5 coats. 

For the earrings, brush sealant on the cardboard circle and on one side of your music sheet circle. Stick them together and let dry. Do not decoupage the top of the music sheet until it’s dry or you might get wrinkles in the paper. After waiting 20-30 minutes, brush sealant on the top of the music paper. Let fully dry at least 30 minutes, then punch one hole into each and continue to brush on multiple coats until it is fully protected. I also did about 5 coats for these. 

Step 4: Add Metal Accents and Jewelry Findings

For the necklace, I actually glued a metal ring around the edge of the cardboard circle using rubber cement and then brushed on more sealant. Let this one dry for at least an hour. To complete the necklace, I added one more smaller metal ring that hangs freely on the jump ring. The jump ring simply hangs on a silver chain.

For the earrings, the next step is to add your metal rings and findings using the flat jewelry pliers. 

Step 5: Enjoy your Jewelry!

I just LOVE the way these turned out. They are a perfect way to express my love of music for the kickoff of the Share a Coke and a Song campaign.

I picked up my Coca-Cola at Safeway in the special display by the entrance, and in the beverage aisle. Don’t forget to enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the American Music Awards® and more. Download the Shazam App, available on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and other devices to get your Coca-Cola Share a Song.

Who would you Share a Coke and a Song with this summer?

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