How to Make Recycled Soda Can Art
Emphasize the importance of recycling by creating art projects from soda cans that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Exercise your creativity and create recycled soda can art alone, or help children and teens explore their imaginations by hosting this art project with your class at school or with your own kids. Use the finished artwork to decorate your home or classroom or give it away as a gift.
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Instructions
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Outfit each person who will be working on the art project with a pair of lab safety goggles and gloves. Goggles will prevent pieces of metal from flying into the eyes and gloves will protect the hands as you cut the soda cans.
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Cut the top and bottom off a soda can. Cut the resulting tube in half to obtain a rectangular sheet of aluminum.
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Place a dry leaf on the sheet. Use a pencil to trace its shape onto the metal. Make as many tracings as you can fit on each aluminum sheet.
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Cut out the metal leaf. Sand the edges with sand paper to smooth them and remove sharp corners.
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Use your pencil to trace a spine along the center of the aluminum leaf shape. Add veins branching off from this central line for authenticity.
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Poke a small hole at the top of the leaf using the tip of your pencil. Tie a loop of string through this hole so you can hang the leaf to display it.
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Tips & Warnings
Use aluminum leaves as individual ornaments, or group them together to create a mobile or a wind chime. Hang your artwork in a window for a sparkly decoration that takes advantage of aluminum’s reflective properties.
If making this craft with children, supervise them closely while they work. Do not attempt to create this artwork with students who are not responsible enough to work with scissors or with children under 10 years of age.
References
Resources
- Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts; Leisure Arts Staff
- Photo Credit NA/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
