DIY Copper Ornamental Lawn Sprinklers

Flexible copper tubing bends into fantastic shapes.

Designing and constructing a custom copper lawn sprinkler is a moderately challenging project. The addition of a simple copper flower-shaped sprinkler, such as a poppy, complements the style of a rancher, bungalow or Arts & Crafts home. It adds a focal point to your lawn as well as a practical solution to watering the grass. By using a shower head, copper fittings, flexible tubing and a piece of rebar as a support, your custom sprinkler will be ready for use in a few hours.

Things You'll Need

• 36-inch piece of rebar
• Hammer or sledge
• Spirit level
• Copper spray paint
• Clear spray paint, gloss-finish
• 5/8-inch flexible copper tubing
• 5/8-inch copper female hose fittings, 2
• 180-grit sandpaper
• Flux
• Soldering iron or propane torch
• Solder
• Copper tube cutter
• Graph paper
• Compass
• Ball-point pen
• 2 sheets of 22-mil copper
• Tin snips
• Adjustable copper showerhead

Instructions

1. Pound the rebar 12 inches into the ground, using a spirit level to ensure it is perfectly vertical.

2. Spray the rebar with copper spray paint according to the manufacturer's directions. Apply the spray paint in several light layers so the paint doesn't drip or run. Allow the copper paint to dry completely, then coat the entire surface with a clear UV-protective spray paint.

3. Attach a copper female hose fitting to one end of the flexible copper tubing. Sand the inside of the fitting and the end of the tubing lightly. Clean thoroughly with a rag.

4. Brush flux onto the end of the tubing and inside the hose fitting. Insert the tubing into the hose fitting, then apply the solder, heating it until it flows into the connection. Allow to cool completely before handling the fitting or tubing.

5. Extend the hose fitting 12 inches from the rebar post. Carefully begin winding the flexible tubing tightly up the rebar to make the stem of your copper flower.

6. Wind the tubing twice around the top of the rebar and solder it to keep it in place. Cut the top of the tubing 1 inch above the top of the rebar support. Insert a female hose fitting to the top of the tubing and solder in place.

7. Draw the poppy template onto graph paper. Place a dot in the middle of the paper. Centered on the dot, draw a 5/8-inch, 3-inch and 8-inch circle.

8. Draw poppy-shaped petals around the 3-inch circle, extending out to the edge of the 8-inch circle.

9. Lay the template over a sheet of copper. Using a ballpoint pen, draw over the lines of your flower template, pressing hard so the design is impressed on the copper.

10. Cut the sheet copper along the indented lines of the petals. Do not cut into the center 3-inch circle. Also cut out the 5/8-inch hole in the center. Repeat the process with the second sheet of copper, cutting the petals slightly smaller than the first.

11. Place each poppy over a bowl and carefully bend the petals down into a rounded shape. Sand the edges of the copper with a 180-grit sandpaper to soften the sharp edges.

12. Place the poppy onto the hose fitting, with the petals facing up. Insert the second, slightly smaller poppy over the first, offsetting the petals by 1/2-turn. Screw the copper shower head onto the female hose fitting.

13. Attach a garden hose to the base of your custom copper poppy sprinkler. Adjust the shower head so it throws out a fine spray onto the lawn. Ensure you get an adjustable shower head so water doesn't just flow upwards, but instead flows outward towards the lawn and/or flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Sand and spray paint a basic chrome showerhead if a copper showerhead is not available or prohibitively expensive. Cover the head of the fixture with painter's tape to prevent the spray paint from clogging the holes.

• Solder more flowers or leaves to the stem if desired.

• Plant flowers around the base of your sprinkler.

• Disconnect the garden hose from your sprinkler when mowing your lawn.

• Select the best location in your lawn or garden for your custom sprinkler. Place it where it becomes a focal point, as well as a lawn sprinkler.

• Wear gloves and safety glasses when soldering and handling copper sheets to protect your hands from the hot surfaces and sharp edges.

• Avoid breathing the fumes when soldering; solder is made up of lead and other compounds that are toxic in an enclosed space.

• Avoid placing copper sprinklers and fixtures in unsecured areas; copper pipe is valuable and often stolen.