Creations, Jewelry, Magnets

Sagebrush Magnets and Lapel Pins

Two Sage Magnets

Each unique sage magnet sells for $5.00.

Back in 1999, I was challenged by the owner of a new art gallery in Lamoille, NV, to create some artistic items to sell on consignment there that were unique to the Lamoille area.

In the high desert of northeastern Nevada, we have a definite surplus of sagebrush. I therefore decided that things made out of sagebrush would be fitting mementos for anyone visiting this area. Realizing that fragile sagebrush leaves would dry and disintegrate quickly, I made refrigerator magnets out of cut and debarked sections of interesting twisted woody sagebrush branches. To make them look more like sagebrush, I wrapped them in green florist wire and sage-colored ceramic and glass beads. 

Sage Memory Pin

Sage Memories can be used as either lapel pins or decorative sculptures.

To produce another local product, I turned 3″-4″  tall sagebrush branches into unusual lapel pins adorned with small chips of  lapis Nevada, carnelian, peridot, or rainbow flourite. The bottom of each stem was  inserted into large-hole glass beads to give the pin enough weight to stand upright in its beribboned tiny clear glass vase. The vase was labeled ” Sage Memories, Lamoille Nevada.” The vase was temporarily glued to the bottom of a clear plastic cup and sealed with a clear plastic cup lid. The Sage Memories label on the packaging stated that the pin is made of genuine local area sagebrush. It also entreats the buyer to “Wear this as a pin or stand it in its base as a special memento of days in the sage.” I thought the $8.95 pins would be unique conversation pieces when worn in an urban environment! Of course the locals here just laughed at me for thinking I could make money out of sagebrush.

Unfortunately, the owner of the Lamoille gallery sold very few of these items, as her store was infrequently open because tourist traffic in the tiny town of Lamoille was practically nil. I had written the creations off in my mind, but was surprised to have them returned to me recently with an apology from the gallery owner for keeping them so long.

As a member of the Elko Nevada Area Chamber of Commerce, I place some of my creations on consignment in the Chamber’s gift shop in Elko. Situated 20 miles west of Lamoille, this fourth-largest city in Nevada has a population of about 35,000 and a steady tourist trade due to its location on Interstate 80. I therefore added these sagebrush items to my inventory in the Chamber gift shop, where they have been selling fairly well.

Sage Memory Pin and Vase

This Sage Memories pin sits beside its 1.5" high vase.

Because these items are one-of-a-kind and unique to the Elko area, I have not offered them for sale on my website. Do you think they would sell to a broader market via my website? I’d sincerely appreciate your thoughts on this.

If you would like to purchase a sage magnet or a Sage Memories pin, email me, and I will arrange for you to pay for it via PayPal or a major credit card.

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4 thoughts on “Sagebrush Magnets and Lapel Pins

  1. Sister Janet Strong says:

    This sounds interesting. How have they sold in the last 2 1/2 years? We are thinking about doing much the same thing here in Central Washington as a fundraising project for my Hermitage. What do you think about it?
    I love the sage brush on the 70 acres that we bought and so we thought we might as well, like you, use it!

  2. admin says:

    Thanks for your inquiry! The magnets have sold better than the lapel pins. People are just not wearing many pins these days, I guess. Best wishes finding lucrative uses for this abundant natural resource. If you come up with any others, please let me know!

  3. This is so unique lapel pins I ever got. But can you create customize one in a simmilar manner?

  4. admin says:

    I’d be happy to create a customized lapel pin like my sagebrush ones. Please contact me to discuss details.

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