Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor

This is a suit of armor made entirely of pop/beer can tabs and copper wire.

It started out as a few tabs strung together after watching Edward Scissorhands, but quickly evolved as my Obsessive Compulsive Nature set in.

It's surprisingly durable, and also has some flex to it.
4 of us couldn't rip the shield apart, trust me, we tried.

You imagination is the limit for using tabs and wire, so start designing!!

Step 1: Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor Phase 1

To begin, you'll need to amass an incredible amount of pop/beer can tabs and copper wire.

I posted ads on Kijiji looking for tabs as well as raiding recycling bins in apartment buildings just to start.
In desperate times, you may be able to hire a hobo to hunt and collect tabs for you.

For the copper wire, I used almost anything I could find that was a decent gauge.
A good source of wire is inside older tube televisions and small electric motors.

The majority of this stuff can be found for free on Kijiji or your local classifieds.

Step 2: Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor Phase 2

Once you've collected enough pop/beer can tabs and copper wire to start, you'll have to prepare them to save time.

sharp edges where the pop/beer tab were connected to the can should be bent inwards, to prevent slicing the wire and your fingers. 
If you own a pair of pliers or a gerber multi-tool, it will make this job much easier.

Now you'll have to cut the copper wire into manageable pieces.
I cut them into approx 3-4" lengths, this allowed me enough wire to make several wraps around the tabs.

Step 3: Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor Phase 3

Now you can start securing the tabs together.

To do this, simply pinch two tabs together that are facing the same direction, and begin looping through the wire.
You can use your thumb to hold the end of the wire for the first few loops through.

This will take time and patience!!  But eventually you'll be connecting these tabs together like clockwork.

Once they've been looped, just twist the ends together a few times to tighten the wire.

Step 4: Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor Phase 4

Now that you have a few strands of tabs together, we'll have to get rid of the excess wire that's poking out.

I just used a pair of scissors to snip the excess, leaving a few centimeters so I could fold it down.

Once you've snipped the loose wire away, you can use a pair of pliers or a gerber tool to pinch the sharp, freshly cut wire flush with the tabs.

One side should be all your cut and folded sharp wires, and the other should be smooth wrapped wire.  You can decide which side you would like to rub against your skin.

EH VOILA!!!!!    once you've got a few rows put together, your imagination should take hold and inspire you to create strange and interesting things.

Step 5: Pop/Beer Can Tab Armor Phase 5

Here's my progress so far, ideally I would like to have him standing on his own in the corner.

The helmet is a mix of Roman/Spartan and the remainder was just assembled using video clips from several movies like lord of the rings.

I would not recommend using this armor for battle or target practice, and will not be held liable for those that do so.
This is an art piece only.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and I would love to see pictures of what you've created.

Also feel free to send me ideas for new designs, I've managed to collect a ridiculous amount of tabs since I've started.