Making Flatware Fashionable

Rebecca Elliott is a junior multimedia journalism major. Her fashion column focuses on the various styles and trends at PLNU.

We don’t deserve spoons. Of all the cutlery in the world, these beloved utensils will never do you wrong. They ease your consumption of cereal, ice cream and acai—all good things. They inspired the classic card game and can even be used for musical purposes. Now, thanks to Melanie Coffman, a junior multimedia journalism major, spoons can now be worn as handcrafted rings.

Where did Coffman get her inspiration? Her first encounter with the magic of spoon rings occurred at a young age. Way back when, a much younger Coffman witnessed her cousin wearing a spoon ring, and her epic journey to tableware accessorizing was born. 

“My cousin is a chef, so I thought that’s why she had it. But then I realized that it was a really popular trend, especially in the 70s,” Coffman said. “So, my dad and I figured out how to make one for me. After he helped me make the first one, I taught myself how to make them and had to make a lot of mistakes to get the process right.”

Spoons come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, and their accessory counterpart does too.  Coffman, now a spoon ring-making aficionado, offers personalized sizes of rings and tries to fit her customers’ personalities with the style and design of the jewelry. Her Instagram account, @ringsbymelanie showcases some of these handmade pieces and connects her with people who also enjoy wearing their breakfast silverware as jewelry. (As it turns out, you do not have to be a chef to sport a spoon ring.)

“It’s kind of a weird thing, and it’s weird how much I know about vintage silverware brands,” Coffman said.

The people disagree. Despite Coffman describing her tableware-turned-trinket talents as weird, several PLNU students have already picked up on the growing trend.  

“I love seeing people wear them around campus. It makes my heart go pitter patter,” said Coffman. “It’s such a small thing, literally and figuratively, but it still really means a lot that people are proud to wear something I made for them.”

With her unmatched silverware skills, Coffman plans to sell her spoon rings at the Flex Farmer’s Market on March 21. 

“Find the unique thing that you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to wear a super different style or enjoy a type of art or whatever it is,” she said. “There is truly so much art out in the world and so many people to appreciate it and enjoy it.”