Hi there, my crafty friends,

Are you old enough to remember those crocheted beer can hats? Well, I am, and if you are too young to know what I am talking about, just trust me. It is precisely what it sounds like.

Yes, that classy.

I, of course, have no idea who came up with this idea. Still, I picture a hippy chick who attended Woodstock in her younger days, took up crocheting in mid-life, and then, in her old age and because of her extensive drug use, thought that beer cans and plushy yarn made a good combination for headgear. Her friends, having also come of age in the experimental ’60s, undoubtedly thought her invention was brilliant and made some of their own.

And hats off to her, I say (the pun is just so serendipitous). This woman, whoever she was, has been a lifelong inspiration to me.

Her creation is iconic, at least in upcycling circles. She was a pioneer of upcycling before it was even cool.

What, it’s still not cool?

Well, I like to think it is cool. And I remember being fascinated by those garish creations.

Imagine the awe of a young girl realizing that you can wear a beer can and sweater material on your head simultaneously. Why, it was positively astonishing! And it opened so many other possibilities. I honestly think seeing those crazy hats rewired my brain and allowed me to see ordinary things in unexpected new ways.

I mean, if you can make a hat out of beer cans, anything is possible……

like turning aluminum into copper, for example.

Step 1 – Cut and Flatten Cans

Start with several cleaned and flattened beer or soda cans.

Check out the short video below for tips on how I cut and flatten all my aluminum cans.

Once you have some flattened aluminum sheets, you are ready to add the copper finish.

Step 2 – Add Copper Finish

I have been using a lot of copper spray paint this summer, and this Rustoleum bright finish is my top pick for this project.

It has the shiniest finish of all the copper spray paints I have used. And it covered well on both the cans’ silver and printed sides.

Step 3 – Add Faux Oxidation

Thankfully for me, you don’t need any fancy painting skills for this step. I had fun trying different methods of applying the paint.

First, I selected a few different blues and green acrylic paints from my paint stash. Then I used a paper towel to dab on the colors.

For another test, I dripped some paint on a plastic sheet and pressed the “copper” into the paint.

I also added some splatters of paint.

And I watered down the paint to let it run into unique designs.

Step 4 – Add Hammered Texture

I used a rubber mallet and my sidewalk to add texture to some of my samples. I gently hammer on both sides to achieve a hammered look. This process does remove a little of the paint, so you may choose to do this step first.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Upcycling,

Cindy

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