It’s no secret that I have trouble growing things, and this year is no exception. I have already killed off an actual Calla Lily; that was quite beautiful. And in other disappointing horticultural news, I have two small pots that previously homed some unnamed botanical variety but are now only supporting the further infestation of a diverse weed population.

Frequently, when faced with a problem, I turn to craft therapy. Sometimes it is just to get away from the problem, and sometimes, as is the case today, it also actually solves the problem.

My math looks like this:

One empty pot that nothing will grow in + 16 Aluminum Drink Cans = One Calla Lily Plant that I can’t kill.

In my world, that’s one problem solved. 🙂

This project is made from aluminum cans flattened into sheets. If you need more information on cutting cans or flattening the metal into sheets, watch the videos below.

How I break down cans into four usable parts

Three ways to flatten cans into metal sheets

For this project, I used 16 flattened aluminum sheets. To make eight Calla Lilies and 18 leaves in different sizes. You can find the free printable templates at the bottom of this post and determine how many shapes you want to cut.

Step 1 – Cut out Shapes

The first step is to temporarily attach the template to the aluminum sheet. To do this, I used a small amount of Elmer’s glue stick and then a regular pair of craft scissors to cut out the shapes.

Step 2 – Pre-Assembly

To prepare the leaf shapes for painting, I embossed the center vein line from the top to the bottom of each leaf.

Next, I used E6000 glue to attach a short piece of 22 gauge florist wire to the leaves.

Step 3 – Painting

To add color, I like to start with a coat of Rustoleum Bright Copper spray paint. A little bit of painter’s tape is helpful to hold the pieces in place while spraying. Once the paint was dry, I flipped the pieces over and painted the other side. I also painted the metal tape that I needed for this project. Each calla lily requires about 9 inches of tape.

For the second coat of paint, I used my colored paints and a paper towel to dab on a little color but allowing the copper to still show through.

To make the stamen, I wrapped a 3-inch piece of metal tape around one end of each wire stem before adding the yellow paint.

To finish the leaves and the Calla Lily petals and leaves, I finger-painted the edges.

Step 4 – Sealing

Before shaping and assembling the flowers and the leaves, I brushed a coat of DuraClear gloss varnish on all the pieces to seal the paint.

Step 5 – Shaping

To shape the petals, I used my fingers and some round-tipped jewelry pliers to gently roll back the edges.

Once the shaping was completed, I used more metal tape to secure the petal to the stem.

Step 6 – Finishing

To finish the calla lily, I added a little more green paint and another coat of the DuraClear Gloss Varnish.

Happy Upcycling,

Cindy

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