Sometimes the most beautiful and valuable decorative objects in our homes are those that we’ve created with our own hands, whether it’s a DIY pendant light made from recycled materials or an upcycled wooden coaster. The ability to say ‘I made that’ when someone compliments a beautiful item in your home can be a source of real pride for any homeowner, and can motivate you further to continue creating unique, one-of-a-kind items that you can be proud of.

The best part is that you can even share your creations with friends and family, and many avid DIY-ers have gone on to build their own Etsy stores in order to share their passion for handmade and unique items with the rest of the world.

In today’s article, however, we’ll be guiding you through a step-by-step process on how to create metal flower garden art that you can use to decorate your outdoor space. Perhaps you’ll learn some new metalworking techniques, seeing as this project is part of a series that was put together by landscaping Thornton to showcase the more fun and creative side of their trade.

Materials and Tools

Before you start working on your project, landscaping Thornton, CO advise that you get your tools together, as you’ll be working with them to create the piece.

Stainless steel forks x 5

Table vice x 1

3 foot long 3/ 16” steel rod

Welder x 1

Bolt cutter x 1

Bucket filled with water x 1

Oxygen acetylene tanks

Wire brush x 1

Chop saw with a metal cutting blade x 1

Scrolling pliers x 1

Safety gear, e.g. gloves, hood etc.

The Process

Take your safety glasses and put them on. Get a chop saw with a metal cutting blade and use it to chop off the handles off five forks.

Insert a 3-foot segment of the steel rod inside the vice grips, and make sure that one foot of the rod is sticking out vertically from the top.

Wear your welding gloves. Switch the torch on and use it to heat the section of the stock that intersects with the vice, and bend it at a 90-degree angle. Then, create a tight scroll with the rod by turning it clockwise, using heat from the torch to help it along.

Once you see that there’s no longer any stock remaining for you to scroll, stop and focus the heat of the torch on a small area below the scroll. Then, bend the scroll’s base with a scrolling pliers so that it’s at a 45-degree in relation to the stock and switch off the torch. Thornton landscaping recommend immersing the scroll into a bucket of cold water afterwards.

Using a wire brush, clean off all the soot on the scroll.

While the scroll is facing down, connect the fork tops with the back of the scroll by welding them in place, and make sure that the fork tops are evenly placed on the back of the scroll.

To create the ‘leaves’ part of your flower, weld two fork handles halfway down the stock.

Gently insert the torch handle into the vice, and switch the torch on. Then, heat up two outer prongs per fork, while making sure that you don’t overheat them, and then bend them out using scrolling papers.

Repeat step 8 to bend the prongs for all five forks.