A few weeks back, we talked about the pros and cons of DIY-ing your wedding. You loved it! And since we like to take a fresh and real approach to wedding planning, we’re going to start our own DIY-ing adventure called Made With Love! For each DIY project, we’re going to include what worked, what didn’t, what was a super, duper idea and what were the worst. ideas. ever. So, here we go! Our project today was inspired by all those wonderful arts and crafts classes we took in school or at camp. We wanted our first DIY project to be simple as well as be able to reuse it later on. We call them Glamorous Pierced Tin Wedding Centerpieces! Not sure where we’re going with this? Follow along and we’ll show you!

Things You’ll Need:

• tin cans (like those full of vegetables in your pantry or lying empty in your recycling bin, a bunch of them)
• 2-3 nails
• hammer
• spray paint in the color of your choice (we chose Rust-oleum (Metallic) spray paint in Pearl Mist)
• ribbon in the color of your choice
• double-stick tape
• candles
• white twinkly Christmas lights (optional)
• newspaper
• clean workspace

First, you’re going to want to rescue a few of the cans you’ve tossed into the recycling bin (because you are, after all, doing your part to save the environment) after dinner this week. Make sure you clean them really well with hot, soapy water. Please do this. In the process, you will find that the labels will (usually) fall right off. Not the glue mind you, just the labels. Tip: Use Goo Gone (not Goo-B-Gone as I always thought it was called) to get the glue off. It’s like magic!

Second, you are going to fill the cans with water and freeze them. Why? Because tin cans actually bend, especially when you don’t want them to. The ice makes the can sturdy and not-bendable when you go to pierce your pattern in with the nail. Very important.

Tip: Allow at least a day to freeze the water and DO. NOT. OVERFILL. Otherwise, this will happen. Not so pretty.

Science Tip: Water expands when freezing. I forgot. Thank goodness I had the foresight to freeze multiple cans. You should too. Just in case.

Outtake No. 1 & 2: First boo-boo (the cracked can above), not so fixable. We discovered this second boo-boo (that the bottom bellied out) when we stood the can upright. It wobbled around like a Weeble, but like the toy Alexandra played with and loved as a toddler, didn’t fall down. But still not quite right. Totally fixable though, you’ll see later.

Third, make a template using a simple font for the wording you want to pierce into the can. Don’t go for anything too busy. You’ll rip your hair out. Go for simple. I used Courier, size 96. See? Simple.

Fourth, you’re going to want to attach or otherwise stick your pattern to the tin can. Tip: Neither scotch tape nor duct tape work on ice cold cans. Note to self. However, if you wait just a couple seconds for the can to melt, the paper (with your pattern on it) will stick to the can. All by itself. Cool.

Fifth, take your nail and hammer and starting in the middle (no real rhyme or reason, that’s just where we started) begin hammering or piercing the pattern into the tin can.

The depth of the piercing should be about an 1/8 of an inch, a half dozen whacks or so with the hammer should do it. Don’t be afraid girls – put some muscle into it! Not too hard though. The piercings should also be about an 1/8 of an inch apart.

Sixth, once you’ve completed piercing the pattern, you can remove it and voila! Looks pretty neat, right?

I am particularly fond of the gold insides of this can. Which by the way was Muir Glen tomatoes if you must know, which some of you will want to, I’m sure.

For the bold and brave (also our Outtake No. 3): Feeling pretty confident with your piercing ability? I was too. So I decided to free hand my next design. A heart. Thought I was being pretty smart. Turns out, I wasn’t. See what happened here? Not the prettiest heart I’ve ever seen. Stupid ridges – whatever happened to smooth cans?

Alexandra suggested marking out the pattern with permanent marker. Smart cookie, she is! Tip: Permanent marker is NOT water proof. HA! Work quickly (and carefully) so the ice doesn’t melt away your pattern. Or, if you prefer the slow and steady method, just reapply your pattern with a marker as needed. (FYI, I prefer the former.)

Seventh, once you have the patterns all pierced, remove the ice. If you are a patient person and have a little extra time on your hands, feel free to leave the ice to melt on its own. However, if you’re like me and want it done yesterday, just run the can under some hot water. Presto! Ice melted and you can move on to drying the cans thoroughly.

Fixing Outtake No. 2: Here’s how to fix the bellied-out-bottom: take your hammer and lightly tap at the bottom after the ice is removed. Just a couple whacks should flatten that sucker right out. Easy Fix. Didn’t even break a sweat.

The Fun Stuff: Now you can add things like ribbon (or rhinestones or glitter, if you’re into that sort of thing – you’ll need glue though) to dress the cans up a little. The color of the ribbon is completely up to you (or your wedding colors). We used what we had lying around and attached with double-stick tape. Pretty, right?

Stick a candle in there and you’re done!

Oh, but that’s not all…

Let’s glam ‘em up a little, shall we?

The Glam Stuff: We decided to spray paint the cans with Rust-oleum (Metallic) spray paint in Pearl Mist. Shimmery and pretty – love it!

Crumple some newspaper and insert into the can, leaving enough hanging out to use as a handle. Less mess on your hands (although I did wind up with a lovely, shimmery manicure) or anywhere else for that matter. For best results, always read the directions on the can, use even strokes, and spray in a well, ventilated area. Let it dry thoroughly, preferably 24 hours between coats. (Did I mention that DIY projects take time and the patience of a saint? Because they sometimes do.) After all is dry, use one of the nails to clean out any paint that gets stuck in the little holes.

When you’re done, you are left with one beautiful, made with love, glamorous, pierced tin centerpiece.

What You Can Do With Them:

Well, first of all, you can fill them with fresh cut wildflowers and use them as the centerpieces for your reception. You could pierce words like let’s eat or forks + knives and fill them with cutlery for a backyard BBQ (wedding or otherwise). Like we stated above, you could just pop a candle in each one for pretty lighted effect. You could also dress them up with various garlands and twinkly Christmas lights and set them up on a favor or escort card table. Later, you could use them as part of your Christmas mantle display. They are completely versatile, and so, so pretty.

Tip: If you’re going to pop twinkly lights in them, be sure you remove the bottom of the can as well as the top with a can opener.

Don’t they look glamorous?!

We had such fun bringing you our first DIY project and can’t wait to hear what you think! Questions, comments, concerns and future DIY project requests are all welcome! And while you’re at it, tell us what (if anything) you DIY-ed for your wedding? Or what you’re considering. We can’t wait to hear all the details!

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

*Photos by Alexandra Beauregard