Friday, April 16, 2010

Soda Can Butterfly Mobile

soda can tin butterfly mobile 5
I have been loving making things with metal.  Quite awhile ago I stumbled upon Pam’s wonderful blog called, Gingerbread Snowflakes.  She had these beautiful tin butterflies made out of pie tins.  Ever since, I have loved finding my way back to her blog!  She has other things that make me swear we are family such as many Danish posts (my heritage) and beautiful outdoor trips!  Well, just recently she had a post on this darling soda can butterfly mobile.  LOVE IT! 
The above picture was taken with me lying on my back to get the bottoms as I even love the soda’s designs on these butterflies.  I also loved the shadows the flash and butterflies made on my house!
soda can tin butterfly mobile 1
Another thing that I love are these cute little girl hands, chipped nail polish, dirt under the fingernails, pen drawing on the back and all!
So, my idea for these butterflies was to emboss designs into the wings.  I pulled out all of my stencils (like the one above) with fun designs on them and put them to use to decorate the wings of each of my butterflies.
  soda can tin butterfly mobile 3
If you look closely at this one you can see that I used a set of those metal stamps to engrave “Roots & Wings” into this butterfly (along the bottom of the butterfly, in the center).  I thought this was cute because that’s the name of our blog (obviously) but it was even more appropriate for where this mobile is going to live-in my garden.  Plant roots and butterfly wings!  So cute, right?!
   soda can tin butterfly mobile 6
So many fun designs to decorate these wings with!   soda can tin butterfly mobile 2
Again, I did not come up with this idea myself.  But is was something I HAD to try.  To check out the AWESOME tutorial of how to make this, check out Gingerbread Snowflakes!  For my hanger(where the butterflies are hanging from) I actually used soddering wire and used my jewelry tools to bend the nice loops to hang each butterfly from.
I still don’t know how Pam knew that I was jones-ing to make something with metal and that I was needing something to detract the birds from my garden!  I had always heard to dangle CDs in your garden to detract birds.  I am hoping this gives the same result!
I’m actually going to make a few more because I love this one so much (and I REALLY REALLY hate the birds in my garden!  I swear if they eat the strawberries that I’ve never been able to grow, but are growing so well this year, I will have to turn to more drastic measures.  Truly if they take just one bite out of each of my tomatoes, again this year, I will probably be just as mad.  Seriously, if you are going to ruin a tomato, eat the whole darn thing in the first place!!!)!
Rebecca
PS Pam, I can’t wait to find out what you think of my butterflies!  Thank you so much for the inspiration!!

Don't forget to add your creativity to our Wednesday's Creative Inspiration!!  Thank you!


As always, joining in the fun on some linky parties:
DIY Day, ABC and 123, Persimmon Perch, My House of Giggles, New Nostalgia, A Silly Little Sparrow, Tip Me Tuesday,  Today's Creative Blog, My Frugal Family,

12 comments:

Amy said...

Very cute. These make me happy!

Anonymous said...

Oh Rebecca! You really, really did it! You really made a butterfly mobile out of soda cans! AND you added designs! I will think of you now every time I sit in my garden and look at my butterflies! Who knew recycled soda pop cans could link two people across time and space!

Save the bottoms, by the way! I have something fun coming up for those as well!!!

I appreciate so much all the lovely things you said about me and my blog in the post. I have really enjoyed getting to know you and sharing our crafty world!

I hope the mobile keeps the birds out of your garden this year! We have a similar problem with them eating our blueberries. They just seem to know the exact moment the berries are perfectly ripe. I don't know how your neighbors would like it, but berry farmers use recorded hawk sound to deter birds and it really seems to work!

Anne-Marie said...

These are so awesome. Gotta start saving some cans. What a great spring project!

CoopDeVilla said...

Ahh, you guys have the neatest, informative, creative blog. And thanks so much for stopping by my little ole' blog. Yes, I am a newbee, and can see that blog parties are really full of eye candy and inspiration. I need to join... okay, give me a little push. Thanks!

CoopDeVilla said...

Ahh, your blog is too cool. Tons of eyecandy and inspiration. And a great big thank you for stopping by my blog. yes, I am a newbee and can see that blog parties are really fun. I need a little push... okay, a little more. Thanks

LollyChops said...

This is totally cute and clever! I love it to pieces!

Julie said...

The butterflies are so neat. I love the metal look. Great job. Thanks for sharing with Made it Monday! Jules

Amy said...

very very fun and happy! I love projects that reuse!! Does it really help keep birds away?? I too, have a strawberry patch growing this year!
Thanks for linking up to "Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays" @ New Nostalgia!!

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

Once again, I wish I would have seen this sooner! I'm having a "Can" show and I would love this to be in the collection. Great idea! http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2010/04/can-categorically-crafting-show.html

Tracey @ My House of Giggles said...

this is just adorable!! I just love it when you can make something so beautiful out of something that would normally be thrown away!

nice work!

Jill said...

What a great way to use old drinks cans! they look fabulous!

Jill

Megan said...

I've heard that another way to get the birds to leave your tomatoes alone is to paint some hard balls red, with a nontoxic paint of course, and then put them in your garden BEFORE the tomatoes are ripe. The birds will try to eat them, figure out they can't be eaten,and leave the real tomatoes alone when they come out, thinking it's the same thing. I haven't tried this so I don't know if it works or not... but I have a feeling you could find a way to turn it into garden art.