Make Vintage Bells from Soda Cans
I just love the look of vintage bells hanging on a wreath at Christmas time.
I've attempted several times to make some that look half way realistic myself but failed.
I think today I've finally perfected the art of making vintage bells and I'm using soda cans!
I think they look amazing! Take a look...
I began with aluminum soda cans, I've tried using aluminum cans from the kitchen but that was a major fail 😩.
As you're scrolling through this post please pay attention to the bold blue links that will take you to the products I use and other DIY related projects.
Soda cans (or seltzer cans) as they are at my house, work great and are so easy to cut.
The first one, the largest of my 3 bells, was cut with a tin snip and I cut off just around the mouth of the can. This handy tin snip is great for cutting all kinds of things.
The second can I cut, using regular scissors, 3/4 down the height of the can.
The third can I cut in half then I sanded the bottom edges of all the cans with sand paper to smooth the edges.
I banged out the bottom of my cans using a rounded handle awl tool and a hammer. I stuck the all inside the can and used the hammer to bang the tip of the all which rounded out the bottom of the can.
Next, I used the same awl to punch 2 holes in the top of the cans.
I found a few old paint brushes and cut the brush end off to create a dinger for the inside of the bells. The dinger needs to be about 1/4" longer than the can.
The paintbrushes I used had holes in them but if your's don't then just drill a hole in the handle.
I strung rebar wire through the hole in my paintbrush stub and then up through the two holes in the can.
At the top I wrapped both ends of the rebar wire around a thick round stick to create a loop.
Now it was time to give my bells a good spray of metallic paint on the inside and outside of each bell.
When the paint dried I was disappointed with the metallic color of my bells, it was not shiny like the cover at all.
I used a gold leaf kit to cover portions of each can by painting on the adhesive, letting it dry, and laying the gold leaf in spots on the can.
I used a dry paintbrush to tap down the gold leaf.
Next, I wanted to antique the bells so I used dark wax to dab onto the gold leaf in random places.
I also used shots of matte black spray paint on the bells in just a few places to further antique the bells.
Lastly, I hung the bells through thick jute twine.
I'm hanging my bells in a group of 3 in different sizes on a wreath for Christmas.
READ MORE: WREATH PROJECTS
You can use them on a shelf for decoration or hang them on the tree!
Please pin --->>
Last year I made another set of recycled bells on a garland that I think came out adorable using coffee pods.
Click here to hear them ring 🔔↓🔔↓ 😂
