Soda Pop Can Garden Picks

These original garden picks can be a charming addition to any garden. Just be careful when cutting them out that you don’t hurt yourself on any rough edges of the can.

Materials:

• Old soda can, rinsed out and dry
• Utility knife
• Old pair of scissors
• Wire hanger
• Hammer and nail or drill
• Small scrap of wood
• Spray paint (I used model spray paint)
• Spray primer
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Marker
• Hole punch

Procedure:

• 1. Cut the top off of the soda can with the utility knife. With a marker, draw the design you wish. Note: the bottom of the can will be the body of the bug, so you will want to draw the head, wings, legs, etc. extending from this point. Cut out the design with the scissors. Be careful that you trim off any ragged edges. Amazingly, the edges of the can will not cut you, if you do. Bend the appendages into place. With the hole punch, make eyes.
  2. Place the small piece of wood under the base of the can and using a drill or a hammer and nail, make two holes positioned one on either side of the center.
  3. Cut the coat hanger to the desired length, allowing for an extra five inches for attaching to the critter. Straighten out the wire.
  4. Insert the hanger up through the base through one of the holes in the can. Bend the wire approximately five inches from the end. Bend it again so it is now an upside-down ‘U’ with the base of the ‘U’ being about as wide as the distance between the holes on the critter. Insert the end of the wire through the other hole, bend around the wire, and curve it under the critter to prevent wobbling. If it still wobbles, you might want to adjust the wire, or taking the block of wood, place it under the critter, and hammer the wire flat. Bend the long wire into place.
  5. With the primer, spray the whole piece. If you want the rusted look on the coat hanger, tape it off before spraying. Poke the end of the wire into foam, sand, dirt, or wedged into something to allow the piece to dry
  6. When completely dry, spray bug with desired colors, waiting for it to dry in-between colors.
  7. Let paint cure for at least 24 hours.
  8. For antennae: cut a length of wire about 3 inches long (the type of wire is up to you). With a block of wood on the underside of the head, use the hammer and nail to punch two holes for the wire to go through above the bug’s eyes. Bend the wire in half and insert each end through a hole. Curl the ends of the wire. Secure the wire to the head with epoxy so that it will not wobble.
  9. If desired, use a black paint pen to add details.
  10. For the frog: carefully cut out the mouth with the utility knife. The tongue is cut out of leftover can parts, bended, with a tab at the base. When all the pieces are painted and allowed to dry for 24 hours, the tongue is then threaded through the mouth, with the epoxy applied to the tab and glued to the back of the frog’s head.

If you do not see the table at the left, please click here.