#freefromtrash Aluminum Can

Day 11: Soda Can
Here in Kansas, most of us call them "pop cans." Being the fourth generation in my family to work in a custom sheet metal fabrication shop, I have a fondness and appreciation for art made from metal. We have a CNC Plasma cutter at work. They use it for laying out custom fittings. My dad and I also designed some art pieces just for fun, mostly yard art and we have made some custom pieces designed by customers. I have a tulip, sunflower and a Jayhawk in my yard. The tiger is in the office at work. It's the mascot from my alma mater, Fort Hays State University and sets next to my degrees.

 Metal Art by Johnson Sheet Metal, Inc.

I even love structural/ architectural metal work. My favorite is the Eiffel Tower! Sadly, this is the best picture I could find from my trip in 1995.

I wasn't about to recreate the Eiffel Tower out of aluminum cans, but I have been wanting to make some aluminum flowers. It's been about seven years since I have done any scrapbooking, but remembered these flowers in embellishment collection. I used them as my patterns.

The first step is to cut the top and bottom off your can. I used tin snips and regular scissors.

 I did experience some curling around the top when I cut too high up on the can.

 Once I had a flat sheet, I traced the pattern on the back of the aluminum with a sharpie and cut it out with scissors.

 

 To cut out the petals, I used a cutting tool to perforate the metal. Then I was able to pop it out.

These measure about 1 1/2" - 1 3/4".

 I also enlarged my pattern piece on my scanner for a bigger flower.

 This one is about 4".

  I read somewhere that a punch would also work.

I had this in my scrapbook tools and wanted to see if it would work too...

 this one did not. I tried applying more pressure and broke the punch. :)
 I happened to find one on clearance at Hobby Lobby. The first time I tried I couldn't get it to work, but with a little more pressure it did. The punched out flower measures 1".

Next I had to decide what I wanted to do with my flowers. I searched for some ideas and found some cute bobby pins. I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to attach them. I saw a tutorial that said to use E-6000 glue (can't find the link now), but I didn't have any. My brother suggested it was time I learned to use the soldering tool because I should know how to do something in the back. I was thinking of using eyelets from my scrapbook embellishments to add a center to the flower, but I was still unsure how I was going to attach them. While searching in my scrapbook suitcase, I came across some eyelet brads... perfect!

 Materials used: eyelet brads, aluminum can embellishment, bobby pin and cutting tool

 I used the cutting tool to make 2 slits in the flower so the brad would go in easier.

 Then I folded the edges of the brad around the bobby pin.

 This was one of my favorite projects. I haven't quite decided what I'm going to do with the 4" flowers. I could always use some new yard art or possibly a flower arrangement for my desk. Someday I'd like to try a pinwheel for my yard too.