Tutorial: Recycled Soft Drink Can Hanging Heart

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Part four of my hanging heart tutorials! This time the material of choice is an aluminium soft drink can, so not only does this how-to produce a cute, minimalist heart, but it’s eco friendly, too!

This light-weight heart will flutter in the breeze if you hang it outside.

Time needed: 30 minutes

You’ll need:

Empty soft drink can (wash & dry first!)

Stanley knife

Scissors

Round nose pliers

Flat nose pliers

Marker

String or ribbon

1 large split ring

Cutting mat

Heart template

Caution: This metal can have sharp edges when cut and you might find tiny fragments fall off during the cutting process. Handle cut metal with care and wipe your work surface off with a damp piece of kitchen roll when you’ve finished to pick up any tiny pieces of metal.

1. Using the Stanley knife, make an incision across the top of the can big enough to insert the end of your scissors. Cut the top off the can with scissors and repeat with the bottom of the can. Cut up the length of the can.

2. Flatten the can out and cut one heart from your template. Using this heart as a guide, cut out a second, larger heart (leave an extra 0.5-1cm around the edge)

3. Lay the two hearts together. Either turn the print inwards to yield a silver-coloured heart, or keep the print on the outside for a truly recycled effect. Make small cuts around the edge of the larger heart to make little tabs

4. Curl over the ends of the tabs with round nose pliers, and then use flat nose pliers (or your fingers) to flatten down onto the smaller heart. Take care not to press the tabs too hard else they may snap off! This step eradicates any sharp edges.

5. Turn the heart over to the ‘clean’ side and make a mark for a hole. Use the Stanley knife to cut a tiny X over this mark.

6. Poke a pen or the end of the round nose pliers through to open the hole. Turn the heart over and flatten down the edges of the hole with flat-nosed pliers.

7. Attach a large split ring through the hole and thread on a piece of string or ribbon.

Painting: If you want to paint your heart, enamel paint is a good option!