DIY Recycled Metal Can Flower (for the garden)

Would you like a quick garden decoration to spruce up your outdoor space? Give this recycled metal can flower a try.

I was inspired to try this when I came across some on Pinterest. Just seeing the finished result was enough for me to grab up some supplies and get to work crafting up one of my own.

Supplies

Leftover soup, vegetable, fruit, or other type of metal can, washed and dried. I used a can with a 4” diameter and a height of about 6 ½”.
Tin snips, and safety gloves
Permanent marker
Rustoleum spray paint
Metal bottle cap
Stake – I used an old tobacco stake I had, but you could use any type of wood stake. You’ll be nailing the flower into it
Hammer
Nail

Measure the petals

Measure the circumference of the can – you didn’t know geometry would actually apply to your life one day, eh? For those of us a little fuzzy on circumference vs diameter vs radius, circumference is the measurement AROUND the can. The circumference of my can measured about 12”. Keep in mind, any size will work, I’m just giving you what I used as a point of reference.

I chose to draw vertical lines equidistant apart to create the flower petals. So I marked the can every 2” around the circumference. This will be the width of your petals. And then I use this mark to draw a line vertically down the side of the can to the end of the ridges. This is marking your cutting lines. You don’t want to go all the way down to the bottom, so I stopped about a 1” from the bottom of the can.

recycled can measurements — Mark at desired measurements. These will be the cutting lines

Cut the petals

Using the tin snips and SAFETY GLOVES, cut the can on the marked lines making sure to stop about 1” from the base of the can. Be careful as the cut edges are VERY sharp, which is why I recommend using safety gloves while doing this part! Also, don’t feel that the cut lines need to be perfectly straight….mine are not. It’s hard to do, and well, it just doesn’t really matter in the end.

Once each of the petals are cut, bend the petals away from the can to create your flower.

Paint the metal can flower

Using your paint (I used spray paint), apply a coat or two to the metal flower shape covering both the front and back. Allow to dry. You might also consider applying a clear top coat. I didn’t do that, but you could.

Attach the metal can flower to the stake

Once dried, take the bottle cap and using a small 1” nail attach the bottle cap to the center of the flower hammering the nail through the bottlecap and through the center of the flower. Then, using this same nail already through the bottlecap and flower, hammer it into the wood stake.

Voila! Take your newly created metal can flower and stake it into the ground like this.

Concluding thoughts on a recycled can flower

Now, how cute would it be to arrange a few more in different sizes and maybe even different colors for a “bouquet”? No watering or fertilizing needed!

My garden stake has been in the ground for a few years now and you can see the difference from when I first made it. It has weathered mid-western winters, blazing hot summers, and everything in-between, and has been very resilient and is now well worn.