Make Ornamental Sheet Metal
Sheet metal is used to make all types of ornamental lawn objects, and you can make your own with a pattern, some tin snips and a sheet of metal. You can find copper sheet metal at your local craft store and other types of sheet metal at your local hardware store. You can also repurpose metal available at salvage yards for a fraction of the cost. Get creative and make something to decorate your yard with ornamental sheet metal, old or new.
Instructions
1 Find a pattern for the ornamental metal piece you'd like to make. You can print templates you find online or use outlines from a magazine or coloring book that you can cut out and trace. You can create your own template for larger pieces by finding objects around your house that have the basic shape you need, and use them to trace your outline. For example, trace a large picture frame to make a quick rectangle or a coffee can to make a simple circle.
2 Flatten your sheet metal onto a work surface and trace your pattern onto the metal with a marker. Most sheet metal comes in rolls, so you may need to brace the corners with weighty objects to hold the metal flat.
3 Cut your pattern from the metal with tin snips. Some metal sheeting, like copper, is soft enough to cut with very sharp household shears. If you need to punch holes in the metal so you can hang it or hang things from it, you can use a hammer and nail or metal hole punching tools.
4 Clean the sheet metal with household cleaner or degreasers and then paint it with spray paint and acrylics to create your design. Use exterior spray paint to paint your background color, as it will not leave brush strokes. Protect your finish with a coat of exterior polyurethane.
Decorate your ornamental metal sheeting with hanging crystals, beads or other embellishments. You can use 20- to 24-gauge craft wire to attach objects to your sheet metal.
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