You can get jig heads with the opening in the eye, for attaching the blade directly to the head.. I cant remember off the top of my head were I seen them though.. :-/
Another tip for making the blades.. If you use the blade decals, take and clean off your sheet metal (blade material) with some alcohol, then stick the blade decals on it, in rows, and use those as a template.. Then use the tin snips or whatever, and cut the blade out around the decal..