Reuse project 1: Aluminum can stuff

I love limitations. 

I love this about working with reused material or found objects. 

Limitations are liberating in a sea of choices, with so many possibilities, and thousands of products to choose from! Sigh.  Limitations make you think, challenge your creativity and grow your inner detective super sleuth, or in my case, ninja spy. 

Allot of what I do is is based on transforming the undesirable into the desirable. I adore this process.

 

These are a couple of things I made from aluminum cans. 

Thank you Muddy Waters for opening your recycling containers to us!  

This is how you do it:

1.  Cut a can in half with scissors or metal snips

2.  Cut down in maybe 1 inch sections, too the base of the can

3.  Go round them and round off the edges

4.  Pull the 'petals' back 

5.  Using a hole punch, punch a bunch of holes in the petals

6.  For the double flower, stack the top of the can on the bottom

7.  Using clear caulking, caulk between the two

8.  Let dry 24 hours and Voila! A beautiful candle holder

9.  You can do taller stacks for more fancy holders too!

This base turns out to be very versatile!

I also used the single can flower for bases for these...

 

pincushions which looked great in a christmas tree too! 

This is how you do it:

1.  sew a felt pattern on a circle of felt...maybe 4"wide

2. Stitched a draw string around the rim

3.  stuffed it with felt scraps 

4.  Pulled it tight 

5. Attach with velcro 

That way, a person can use it as a pincushion, ornament or a candle holder! AND, as Ian pointed out...the Pincushion part also makes a stunning car cup hole filler too!