I'm sorry to hear your brother is gone. I really don't know........a memory jar? mosaic it, and place it at the cemetary with flowers in it. Wind chime sounds great,you've got enough keys to make several(things are better in 3's!) I'd find an old round metal bowl, or tea pot, or vase, (you know me, I'd have some kind of silver-plated thing! Since it's so many keys, a larger tray, Just mark some circles in the bottom of the round tray, or a spiral, and start hanging keys. It should make a beautiful sound. If you wanted it to be a family project, the kids can help,you tie the key on, let them string beads on :D I use beading wire and crimp beads for projects like this, and it seems to hold up so much better.
Oh, maybe with a round silver plated tray, and circles marked on it, and keys in graduated lengths.......like an old crystal chandelier. Or use some sort of wire/metal bowl or colander?
I keep a wind chime at my sons grave, hanging from the branch of a live oak, that goes across his
You'll think of something awesome!
Cherry/Kudzu

kirkus i'm so sorry about your brother. I think a windchime(s) would be great. Since my craftiness is minute, i'm sure your get some wonderful ideal helps. Your brother looks like a great man...

Sorry about your brother. The windchimes are a timeless idea. One thing that popped into my mind was a heart shaped stone, glue the keys on it for a key to my heart. Please post a pic when you have created something with your keys.

I'm so glad you brought up this very question Kirk. I was going to bring it up myself soon.

Hubs & I bought a huge key ring with at least 200 keys on it for $5 at a flea market a few years ago. Since then it's been hanging down in our basement on a nail, because we can't think of what to do with them. But all that metal is neat, and can surely be used to make something cool.

I think the wind chime idea is very good! Gets my mind going on ideas for that.

And the heart shaped stone with the key to my heart ... that's a good idea too. Never would have thought of that one myself!

Several good ideas from Cherry too. The wind chime at the old live oak sounds like a very peaceful place and a sweet way to honor your son. I know you miss your son terribly, and Kirk his brother as well. This time of year is warm and wonderful, but always makes me miss the loved ones I've lost. They had to leave us too soon.

I look forward to other ideas on these keys from the GJ members. ~tenderlee

There have been some good ideas here for sure. I've seen keys used as eyes for garden art, and as "feathers" for garden art. Kirk--do you weld? You're so talented at some many things, maybe that could be the next thing you learn to do if you don't already know how. I've also seen them strung together and used as a "curtain"....the type they used to use in the 70s with beads in a doorway. Only thing is, the keys might hurt a little when you walked through. I'll keep thinking on this one.

That was my first thought too (well actually second thought after windchime) was a curtain of keys. Or tied to twine for a Christmas garland. Or you could mosaic with them for a winter project. Glue them on some object or make your own design on an old board. I would clear a place and dump them all out and play with them for a while, ideas will come to you.

My neighbor has a wind chime made of keys. It's really neat looking and has a very nice gentle tinkling sound. It reminds me of trickling water.
I've also seen a photo of wreath made up of keys, among other things. If I remember correctly it had some pretty glass door/cabinet knobs and decorative hinges made into it too. I don't know the age of the items used by the overall effect was pretty cool. I think the maker made a glass doorknob hanger for it too. I do know that the wreath was made on a regular heavy duty wire wreath base.
If I remember where I've seen the photo I'll post it. Hopefully it was on a website but I'm not making any guarantees!

When my dad was working at a Bumper mart he would take anything I asked and send it through to be chromed,usually from the overspray. I had chrome horseshoes and an old fridge (the round top type) we spray painted white then he took the handles,hinges and name insignia and chromed them.Was it ever cool! I bet they would look awesome and you could find many more uses for them.However Kirk,you did say THOUSANDS.
But let me say something to those who have inherited things from a loved one that you really do not care for.
Do you REALLY think your loved one would want you to obsess about them and never part with his stuff or would he say. Yeah just toss em i just never got around to doing anything with them.Or maybe "those old things,,,I forgot I even had them" That has helped me too.
However if your loved one cherished every thing you inherited then I definitely say keep it or you will feel guilty ever after.
Another great idea is to put them on Craigs list and see if Boyscouts or another wonderful organization can use them. He would be proud.

Thanks everyone for your great ideas! You have inspired me!

Goldenpond, the rusty keys are REALLY COOL and I REALLY want to do something with them. I have parted with lots of stuff I inherited from my brother but just have to do something with these.

Bear Hugs! Kirk

Loosing a sibling must be difficult. I believe that is why God gave us memories. I find that the older I get, the more childhood memories play in my head. Your brother will always be right there. And yes I also have collected items that I will never get around to completing. It would make me happy if someone comes after me and does something constructive with my "stuff stuff". You are that someone for your brother. Make gifts to bless your family and others. You will honor him greatly.

I see DOOR mats!!! Either weld,glue, or solder them together and glue to an existing rubber door mat or metal grate like a mosaic. The subject of "keys" is very relavent to "door". You can spray paint all of these keys in one color or let them weather out. Front door, side door, back door, basment door ect. all need door mats. A matching above door wooden swag using keys. A long length of chain with keys attached and draped from nail to nail makes a "KEY CHAIN" (swag) conversation piece. Put a sign in the middle of that swag that says, KEY CHAIN. A smaller version of the "Key Chain" mentioned above would make a great gag gift for "White Elephant" gift parties. A rustic door frame could have keys screwed in all around the entire door frame w/ matching door mat. An X-large cookie sheet could have keys attached to the bottom and hold wet boots inside the foyer area. Keys glued around picture frames with pics of family or friend's houses (people love pics of their homes), cars (young people love pics of their cars), ect. (Use house type keys for house pictures, car type keys for pics of cars). Keys could be pressed between two sheets of glass and framed. Key fringe around a blue jean jacket for a teen. Paint a bunch of keys gold and glue to heart shape foam sheeting with a cord to make necklaces to give to kids/students around Valentines day (key to my heart). Or similar project as a "Key To Success" award program for in-class spelling bees. Cover an entire wooden piece of furniture (end table, childs old chair) with keys and then poly coat heavily. Cover a front porch newal post. Cabinet & drawer pulls for the shop. Key glued to magnetic hook made to hang keys on the fridge. Metal tea/chocoate pot with keys glued on, "I'm a little 'Key' Pot" could sit on foyer table to hold keys. Keys attached to an old chamber pot as a Pee Pot Planter.

I've got to quit FOLGER'S!!!

Susie

Oh my gosh, Susie! Don't you dare stop drinking coffee! Such GREAT ideas! You have inspired me! I have been working on windchimes today for my other 2 brothers. We are a junking family so I know they will appreciate the chimes and the memories. My brother's ashes were spread at his favorite nature area as he requested. (We all love nature which is funny since we grew up in the city. My late parents used to take us camping for months on end in the summers so I think that is where we developed our love of the country. I am soooo fortunate to live in the woods now.) I plan on hanging my windchimes in our woods in honor of my big brother. Again, thanks everyone!!!! I just love your ideas and encouragement!!!! Bear Hugs! Kirk

Oh oh oh, Susie, I instantly got a visual of a lamp or something with key fringe! Wire some beads, and a key! Excellent :D That would go with so many decorating styles! I should make HossFly one for his roll top desk....but I'd have to get rid of his classic green shaded bankers lamp.
Oh,wait, I don't have any keys! I'll get some,though!
Kudzu
I also love the idea of the door mat with the keys,very functional art!

Kirk, I did not have all the time to read through the posts (12 yr. old son breathing down my back!)---but a wind chime would be GREAT!
My Mom and I had seen one in the late 70's that this guy have made with hundreds of keys. It was a circle at the top and the keys were hung with fishing line in a spiral graduating down. It was a musical instrument for sure! Sure would have been great to buy it but that's what I would do with all your wonderful memories of keys. I have probably a couple hundred that I've been collecting to do a project with.
Show us photos when you are done.
Love, Jules

I was thinking fringe also...all along a fence, or arbor or even as fringe on a bucket. Bet you could even google it and find tons of items.

Someone on here made some windchimes from those CD discs that come in mailbox for aol etc. They either painted the CD or used the plain side & glued 2 together & then arranged 3 keys on each side & drilled 7 holes along the bottom- spaced evenly & dangled 7 keys down so use 13 keys total(class project) They were cute, they are in 1 of albums just don't remember which 1. Jan

How about using them to spell out plant names, say glued on driftwood, cookie sheets, or signage for Kirk's Garden?
Keys are so interesting, where did they come from? What was locked up with them? HMMMMMMMM

Oh Cherry Love the key fringe idea. I renovate lamps and have keys from the building I manage and never thought of it!
Kirk, how about stringing some like a garland for an out door christmas tree? (or an indoor one). I kind of like the idea of them being end to end instead of just hanging by the holes, so my thought is to put it through the hole but then hot glue or silicone in place. Could take a while...
I am making some big christmas decorations for my porch (circles) and part of what I'm doing is arranging like things in circles within the circles. Keys would be good to use in this way.
You could glue some to your stained glass scraps and used as christmas ornaments, or as windchime decoration.
If you are using them out doors, I believe there is some clear product you can spray them with to stop the rust process where it is so they don't eventually disintegrate. This might be a good idea with such small things.
Good luck and have fun!
kathy

I am so excited about this. I know where I can get hundreds of keys. My local mom and pop hardware store has a bunch they never know what to do with. As always please everyone post pictures of what they accomplish !!!

Kim

Kirk,
I just got a catalog from this place in the mail today with a picture of a wreath made of keys! (or something like keys) I immediately thought of all your lovely rusty keys!!! I don't know how to grab the picture from the site so I will just post the website! Have fun!
garrettwade.com
Melvie

I loved what Jeannespines did with her keys.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeannespines door locks and keys

Wow!! Jeanne what a neat idea! If you didn't have as many different keys as you did you could make "circles " of keys all alike would make interesting design or even some triangles or rectangles mixed with the circles of keys the brown color makes a great border around them. Guess you could even make flowers & use keys for petals & leaves!!Jan

I'm so sorry about your loss, but so jealous about your keys! HGTV had a very cool idea with keys: http://www.hgtv.com/dc-refurbish-other/key-lampshade/index.html

there is a table made all from keys soldered together. There are lampshades made of keys. Very cool stuff. I've been collecting keys for the last 3 years, trying to get enough to make something like this.

Glenda

You can also embed keys in anything you make from concrete (like a stepping stone). Here is the picture of the wreath that melvie101 was talking about from the Garrett Wade woodworking web site.

{{gwi:196624}}

My empathy on the loss of your brother.

I wonder if you could wire keys together in a line and use them as a rain chain? Or attach them to a chain to use. Just a thot as I saw several styles of rain chains the other day in a store.

Thanks for posting the pic from the Garrett website, Luna!! Now tell me how you did it because all I could copy was the words! I wish I had a bunch of rusty keys ;-) !
Melvie

WOW! Great ideas on this posting! I love the idea of a wreath with glass knobs, hinges, etc. ...that would make an awesome garden wreath for outdoors!

And also the stained glass idea ...an ornament or such utilizing a key...that could be very cool! Maybe make some key ornaments with ribbon...plain and simple.

Thanks for posting my door art, shysue...I do love that door! Jeanne S.

Jeanne, we were talking about your beautiful key door last night in chat just before you came into the room! And we all agreed that IT'S WONDERFUL! ~tenderlee

I couldn't help but think of this mosaic table with keys that someone made when I read your post. I use a few in the mosaic turtles that I make. Perhaps you'll get into mosaics... and want to make a "memory mosaic" in honor of your brother. A picture frame would be nice! (This has been on my "to-do" list for a long time! You'll probably get something done before I do! :)
K.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mosaic keys table

I have two ideas. First, I used over a hundred keys to make a key mobile. I spray painted all the keys jet black. I wired all the keys to a main support grid. I threaded colored glass beads to the wire so that you would see the black shapes with colored pieces to it. It won at an art contest. It was a fantastic piece.

Second...I saw a most wonderful idea for a stepping stone that incorporated glass mosaic tiles and keys inside of it.
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/steppingstones/ig/Garden-Stepping-Stone-Photos/Keys-Stepping-Stone.htm

Best of luck. I am always looking for new ways of using old outdated things.

Kirk,
Since you live in the woods how about a birdhouse? You can buy a plain one or build one yourself and cover it with keys. Also use a key for the perch.

ok kirk....go big. Use the keys on a bear...then cover it with the resin or varnish to seal them on...or mosaic to a bear.....

Charlatte, your key mobile sounds beautiful! Do you have a picture of it to show?

I made windchimes with old cds and keys (someone posting further up mentioned it) I also made a stepping stone and used keys around the edge.

Here is a link that might be useful: keychimes

Oh my what great ideas, but one thing I thought of was to "mosaic" a picture frame for a picture of your brother.
You can layer them as is done in the wreath.

your brother had the same graduation date as my younger brother...
you must still miss him...

first ideas that came to my mind was also a birdhouse...
mosaiced, with a few keys in places, with local little pebbles, from the river, moss from your backyard trees...
little branches and any found things from your property..
if possible, his car license plate for the roof of the bird house....

second idea was to get several 6" tiles, from like Home Depot or Lowes...and make a frame around the door of one of doors at your house/cabin...in a Spanish idea
they could be attached with some ready mixed grout/adhesive, with things attached to the tiles, in a mosaic idea but not necessarily grouted..
just bits and pieces, again, with the keys and found articles from the area, where you live..
tiles will be available in either white or an antiqued color..I've been painting the ones I have and firing them, so one day I can either do the door frame, like I mentioned or the back splash along the kitchen counter..

I love anything PNW, in art work...shells, rocks, glass, rust, ...I would do my entire house on the outside, if I had the stamina to do it...lol

Becky....Olympia

Kirk,
once you have made all the great items suggested in these posts you could send the remaining keys to Keys For kindness as a donation to the M.S. Society.

Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: Keys for kindness.

I glued some keys,on a bowling ball for my garden.I had to bend some with a vise,so they would lay flat on the curves. It takes sometime to get it done. I put it on top of a plain flower pot,that I also glued keys to. I will post a picture when the weather breaks.They are packed up for the winter.

When this thread came up I was amazed at all the great ideas from you GJers for keys. Well, I just stumbled across another great use for them, and this page gives lots of detail. They're making beautiful jewelry & hairpins out of them. And they're using the more modern keys, which were harder for me to envision projects with. Check this out, I think their creations are beautiful!

Here is a link that might be useful: Embellished Key link

Great link! I have a lot of keys, ugly modern ones, from the building that I manage. some of them the locks are long gone, some I jsut can't identify. Love what they did to keys in this link. I think I'll keep an eye out for jewelry, like earrings at thrift stores that would work.
kathy

How about a WELCOME SIGN...with 'welcome spelled out with the keys. and also around the edge to frame it.