Tin Can Flowers Tutorial

I have the hardest time growing flowers in my yard. Maybe it's the trees. I have lots of oak trees, big beautiful oak trees, that give shade and protect the house from the wind. The down side is there is a lot of shade, the ground is acidic, and the soil is poor. I've tried lots of plants, killed them really, no matter how much organic matter or water they get, they still die, so I got very excited when I found this book, Decorating Inside and Out from Leisure Arts, about tin can flowers. It is perfect for the recycler in me. I made them. They look whimsical and cute. All you need are tin and aluminum cans, tin snips, wire, paint, a hammer, 1 nail and paint. Here's how I did it: Save your cans and the lids. You can use any size. Remove the labels. Wash them well, but be careful and watch for sharp edges. Cut the cans from the end to the center using your tin snips. Curl the strips down so they form petals. Next, cut leaves from aluminum cans. Now's the time you need the hammer and nail. With you nail, put 2 holes into the end of the leaves and 2 holes in the center of each flower. Now, take your project outside or somewhere where it is safe to paint. Don't forget to wear a mask so you don't breathe in paint. I paint the centers first. For these flowers, I painted the centers black. When the centers were dry, I covered them and then painted the petals. Then I painted the leaves green. Here's what the flower looks like when the paint is dry. Now, take some wire (green Floral Wire is the best) and run the wire through the holes punched in the leaves and the flowers in the pattern that pleases you best. Now your flowering tin can vine is ready for the fence or anywhere you want some color. Just think, flowers that don't have to be watered, won't die, and will stay blooming right through the winter!