How to Make Beer Can Airplanes & Hats

You want this on your head.

Impress your fraternity brothers and local environmental groups by repurposing beer cans into model airplanes and fashionable accessories. A beer can hat will allow you to completely relax while sipping your beer, freeing your hands for other important tasks such as changing the channel on your television. Once the beers on your hat are empty, you can fashion the cans into model airplanes and use them to decorate your room. You don't need any special artistic skills or equipment for this project.

Things You'll Need

• Cans of Beer
• Duct tape
• Measuring tape
• 2 beer cozies
• Plastic tubing, 1/4-inch thick
• Hard hat
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paint

Instructions

Beer Hat

1. Lay out a row of twelve 24-inch long strips of duct tape on a flat surface with the sticky side facing up.

2. Make a square-shaped sheet of sturdy duct tape by carefully placing 12 more 24-inch long strips of duct tape, sticky side down this time, perpendicularly across the top of the strips on your flat surface. At this point, you should have a 2-by-2-foot square of duct tape that is not sticky on either side.

3. Cut the square in half. Measure the height of your beer cozies. Trim a strip of duct tape so the width of the strip matches the height of the beer cozy.

4. Turn a beer cozy on its side, and roll it in the strip of duct tape so the sides are covered completely by the strip. The strip should roll around a couple of times. Do not squish the beer cozy, but once the strip is completely rolled around the cozy, secure it firmly in place with more duct tape. Repeat this process with your other beer cozy and the other half of the duct tape sheet. These will be your cups. The beer cozies will keep your beer cool, and the duct tape will make them more secure. Place the wrapped cozies right side up on top of the remaining duct tape sheet and cut out circles to serve as the cups' bases. Secure these to the bottom of the cups with duct tape.

5. Set your hard hat on the table facing you. Place one of your cups on either side of the hat, also sitting upon the table. Place a full, unopened beer in each cup, and secure the cups tightly to the hat with duct tape. The hard hat will be less likely to distort under the weight of your beers than a baseball cap would, and by performing this step on a table you can make sure the cans remain upright.

6. Trim the plastic tubing so you have two 30-inch long pieces. Tape the tubes, side by side, vertically oriented, to the back of your hat. These are your straws, and they should be able to reach on the top ends to the bottom of the beer cups and on the bottom ends into your mouth when the hat is on.

7. Pop open the two beers in your cups and insert the straws into them. Gingerly place the hat on your head so you don't spill any beer. Put the tubes in your mouth and you are ready to drink in style.

Beer Airplane

1. Wash your two beer cans thoroughly once you have emptied them. Allow them to dry. One can will be the body of your plane and the other will be the details.

2. Place one can on its side on a flat surface to make the body of your plane. Cut out the bottom of the can, but not completely. Leave one small section, about 1/4-inch wide, at the tip of the can intact. Bend the bottom of the can upwards. Cut off the top half of the circle and you will be left with the tail of your plane.

3. Cut off the bottom half of the other can completely and set it aside. Cut another ring of aluminum from the bottom of the can that is about 2 inches wide. Cut through the ring and bend the ring open. This piece will be the wings. Glue the piece to the top of the can.

4. Cut the round bottom piece from the second can into the shape of a cross with long, thin arms and glue this to the front of your plane. This is the propeller.

5. Cut out two matching circles from the remaining aluminum of the second can. Glue them to the bottom front sides of your plane to serve as wheels.

Tips & Warnings

• You can paint your hat or plane to make them more decorative.

References

• Beermasters: How to Build a Model Airplane Out of Beer Cans