I recently purchased some cool Indian Head Penny cuff links at a higher end men's store. These inspired me to make coordinating studs to wear with my tux shirt. I remembered I had some out-of-circulation South African coins that were about the same size as a button. Thus began my task. It actually turned out better than expected. Plus, it was SUPER easy.

Step 1: Make Custom Tuxedo Shirt Studs

Supplies needed:

4 coins (or anything that strikes your fancy) about the size of a dress shirt button
1 set of cheap rental tuxedo studs (should cost no more than $4)
1 tube super glue (I used LocTite brand)
toothbrush and a little toothpaste
1 tube waterproof glue

Tool needed:
1 Dremel-type grinding tool with grinder/sander bit

Step 2: Grind the Cheap Studs Flat

Using the dremel-type tool, grind the plastic button top flat. This takes only a matter of seconds per stud.Be sure not to grind the metal part. you want to make the surface as flat as possible.

Step 3: A Little Dab'll Do Ya

Apply a drop or two of the super glue to the fresh ground stud and center your coin on top. Press and hold for about 30 seconds to assure a good bond.

Step 4: Let Super Glue Dry

Because one of the coins had a piece of the copper plating missing on the "heads" side, I decided to make two studs with the "tails" side up and would wear them in alternating fashion.

Set the newly made studs aside to dry for about 30 minutes.

Bonus Tip: Just for a little extra bond, I then ran a bead of super glue around where the stud actually made contact with the coin. Then I let them sit until the next morning, as per the glue manufacturer's recommendation.

Step 5: Clean and Protect These Babies

I remembered as a kid watching my mom clean her jewelry with a toothbrush and a tiny bit of toothpaste. Since I wanted these studs to have a little petina, and not shining like brand new, I brushed the coins until they reached the look I wanted. Then I dried them well with a towel.

Once they were dry, I brushed a very light coat of waterproof craft glue on the top surfaces and edges of the coins, to prevent tarnishing.

Step 6: Get Yourself Dolled Up and Hit the Town!

Adding these to my Indian Head Penny cuff links really looked sharp with my white dinner jacket and grey bow tie. The only thing with them being slightly larger than a regular shirt button means, they will not go through the button hole easily. So, I had to put the stud through from front-to-back first instead of the normal back-to-front method.

This really was an easy project. From start until glue drying time literally took less than 10 minutes.

Have fun creating your own studs!