Ultimate Guide to Recycled Copper Crafts

The most important tool you can have for making jewelry is a good set of pliers. If you're just creating the jewelry for fun and not as a serious hobby, you can get away with using needle-nose pliers and a wire clipper. Also, you can find a pair of pliers in ready-made jewelry kits. If you're serious about the hobby, however, you'll probably want to buy a nice pair for crafting. There are many different varieties of jewelry-making pliers, including flat-nose, round-nose, bent chain-nose or chain-nose [source: Harvey]. Talk to the jewelry expert at your craft store to help you make the right decision based on your needs.

For earring construction, you'll need copper earring hooks, which you can find in craft stores or online. From there, you can use the thin copper wiring from your built-in household appliances to add beads, stones, feathers or other decorative items to the earrings. You can also bend the copper to make fun zigzags or circular shapes [source: Bloglander].

For necklaces, rings and bracelets, you can use thicker copper wire or piping. There are many different kinds of copper, which means that some may be easier to bend than others. You can use thick pipes to make bracelets or cuffs that are easily removable [source: MadeItMyself]. You can also wrap thinner wire around thicker wire to add texture. Think of this process like twisting two pipe cleaners together.

To make recycled copper broaches or pins, you can find copper backings and clasps at the craft store or online. You can flatten large pieces or embed designs using a jewelry hammer [source: Lewton-Brain]. Then attach the backings to the jewelry using metal glue or by soldering.

If you have larger copper piping lying around, you'll be able to make much larger crafts. Read on to learn about recycled copper sprinklers.

Sprinklers can water the lawn and entertain the kids. Who doesn't want to run giggling through the cool spray of water on a hot summer day? In general, sprinklers are not all that attractive, so why not try to spruce them up? You can make a recycled copper sprinkler that will be the talk of the neighborhood.

A quick flip through a few home improvement books or a few clicks around the Internet and you'll see that copper sprinklers can range from simple to sublime. Some companies or artists have created copper sprinklers shaped like trees, spinners and even animals [sources: Raintree Sprinklers, Water Ballet Copper Sprinklers, Yardiac]. These water features highlight both form and function. Working with copper for the first time on this kind of project can be very challenging. So if you're a beginner, something like this is probably best left to the pros.

The basic premise of a recycled copper sprinkler is that a hose is attached to a copper structure. The copper structure has holes cut into it where water is released. How you create the copper structure ultimately depends on your skill and comfort level and the plan or instructions you decide to follow. Be prepared, this type of project requires quite a few supplies and tools. Some basic materials you will need include copper tubing and pipe, a hose, hose connectors, T connectors, flux, solder along with a variety of metal-working tools including a small propane torch [source: DIY Network, Black & Decker].

Once you've created your copper sprinkler, it will require a little maintenance. Copper will turn green if it's exposed to the elements for a prolonged period of time. The copper oxidizes and turns to patina, which is the thin, green layer of material on certain copper statues (including the Statue of Liberty). To prevent patina from forming, you can clean your copper creations with metal cleaner [source: CDA]. Or, if you like it that way, you can leave the copper to do its natural thing.

If you don't want to bother with the water, try your hand at creating something for your home. Read on to learn about recycled copper sculptures.

Sculptures come in all shapes and sizes. They don't have to be large, commissioned pieces of work for local businesses. You can also make small sculptures to add to your home or garden.

By bending thin copper wire with your hands, you can create a wide assortment of art projects, including self-portraits, flowers, houses or animals [source: Bartel].

For larger copper sculptures, you're going to need to learn the ins and outs of how the metal works. You're also going to need a blowtorch. If you are skilled in metalwork, you can make copper trellises, birdfeeders and decorative plant hangers for outdoors. For indoor projects, you can let your creativity run wild. But if you've never worked with metal, you're going to need a little instruction.

To learn about working with recycled copper, you can seek out a local artisan or take a class from a local organization, such as the following:

If you feel confident that you can create the sculptures on a do-it-yourself basis but just want a little more instruction, there are many books to choose from. You can search for books about the specific copper sculptures you want to make online or at the library.

If you want to start with something simple, learn how to make a recycled copper mobile on the next page.

A mobile might bring to mind a baby nursery, but you can create lovely grown-up mobiles to decorate your home or office as well. Recycled copper wires make fantastic frames for mobiles, since they are durable and malleable.

Follow these steps to make a simple, recycled copper mobile:

If the copper wire is thin enough, you can skip the string and use only copper wiring to hang your mobile. Bend the copper using metal-working or jewelry-making pliers to create loops at the ends of the pieces. Remember that when making any art, patience is key.

To keep all of your creations bright and shiny, clean them regularly with a copper polish. You can find copper cleaners at your local hardware store or online [source: Garfield]. Now that you know how to make some basic recycled arts with copper, you can start looking at your old appliances and discarded copper piles with an artist's eye.

Visit the links on the next page for more information.