Roses From Soft Drink Cans

While looking through some ibles the other day, I came across this: https://www.instructables.com/id/Drink-Can-Butterflies/ So, liking quick and easy projects, I proceeded to make a few....the wheels are always turning, and it wasn't long before I thought, hey I could make my roses out of this stuff! So an Idea was born, in my mind, at least, and this instructable is about the process I went through to make a few roses. In the two flower photos, the only rose of metal is the one in the green vase. There are several 'ibles on making flowers of soda cans, so I wanted to credit at least one...nothing original except the methodology and design....as the book says: "...there is nothing new under the sun."! See this: https://www.instructables.com/id/Soda-Can-Rose/?ALLSTEPS

Step 1: Gather Materials

I used the soft drink cans shown, but any would work depending on what you have. I also used a danish tray made of aluminum, cut into strips to make a stem fitting the project.

Step 2: Collect Tools

All my tools are in either my shop or art room, so it's convenient to just sit down and get started. What you need most of all is heavy duty scissors, some florist's wire, pliers, wire cutters, a pen or pencil, and some epoxy glue.

Step 3: Cut Tin* Into Shapes Wanted

* I know it's not really tin, but it's a short word to replace aluminum! Follow pictures and cut the material into 6 shapes as shown. Three of the shapes are the lower pedals, and three are the upper, or inner pedals. I have done so many of these in paper, and the techniques are essentially the same: albeit, working with the tin is somewhat more difficult. Go to this instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Paper-Rose if you would like those details to follow, and/or make some paper roses.

Step 4: Form and Join the Pieces

For the life of me, I couldn't get hot melt glue (glue gun) to work at all with the glue I have on hand. So I had to take a different approach. What I came up with was using florist's wire, and more or less "sewing" the pieces together. I made holes in the ends of the pedals, (2), then placed a small section of wire that looked much like a staple into the holes. Using small needle nose pliers, I twisted the wires together to make a tight knot, and thereby holding the pedals together. See image notes for clarification.

Step 5: Make Leaves From the Can Material

Draw a leaf shape as shown, and simply cut out with the scissors. I have serrated the leaf for effect, but is not necessary. Also, using a pen or stylus, draw leaf veins into the surface to make them appear more life like.

Step 6: Make a Stem

I cut a dried branch off of one of my trees to use for the rose stem. Using the strips of aluminum from the danish tray, I wrapped the branch with the "tape" so that it covered the wood and made it match the rose in the project.

Step 7: Glue Leaves on and Join Stem to Flower

Since the hot glue wouldn't hold, I decided to use epoxy glue to secure stem to rose base, and leaves to rose. As the tubes said, it is 5 minute epoxy, and does take that long to set up so that you can move. This is the biggest drawback I found to the whole process, but it takes what it takes.

Step 8: Find Vase or Stand for Your Rose

We had this garage sale vase on hand, and I felt it would be a perfect holder for my new rose. As you can see, I also decided to paint the rose using some floral paint I had on hand. Either way, I think it is an attractive addition to my flower collection.