License Plate Dragonfly
Here's a great outdoor project if you like the look of vintage license plates.
The license plates aren't too difficult to cut. Other than that all you need is a spindle leg to create an adorable dragonfly for decorating an outdoor fence.
There are many versions of this project, take a look...
I'm sure you've seen these dragonflies all over Pinterest, this was not my idea but I had a bunch of license plates so I'm giving it a try. You'll find these cute insects in all different shapes and sizes, this one is my easy version!
I began with a pile of old license plates. Truth be told many of the license plates I've saved over the years have come from cars my family has owned. I even have some dating back to 1962. In case you're interested, This grandma of 7 was 3 years old!
As you're reading through this post please pay attention to the bold blue links that will take you to more information and the products I used for this project. Also the READ MORE sections will take you to related Homeroad projects.
I chose 4 vintage plates from places I've lived for this project, New York and Ohio.
I began by cutting a wing shape using tin snips out of the license plates. Depending on the plates, some were easier to cut than others but these old hands were able to cut the wings with not too much trouble.
Once all 4 wing shapes were cut I used an electric sander to smooth the edges so they weren't sharp. You can also use sandpaper. I was sure to wear safety glasses when I did this to prevent any metal pieces from flying off.
Next, I grabbed an old table leg I had, it was a great spindle shape for the dragonfly body.
After the first coat of vintage green paint, I decided to cut the block off one end of the spindle. I added a large wooden bead for a head using wood glue and E6000 glue. At this point you can also add a couple of wire antenna to the head.
I continued painting the spindle when the glue dried.
I laid out my wings so I knew which direction they would look best then drilled a hole into each of the wings.
I used just one screw to go through all 4 wing holes and attached them to the spindle.
READ MORE: LICENSE PLATE PROJECTS
You can put the plates on the back or front of your spindle.
You can arrange the wings any way you'd like. Some like the top and bottom wings separated, I'm putting mine all together with the more vintage plates on the outside.
I bought these great fence hangers from Amazon, they work great for hanging decorative items on a vinyl fence or on vinyl siding.
That's all it took to create this cute dragonfly to decorate the fence this summer.
As you can see, I went back and added antenna to my dragonfly head with a quick wrap of rebar wire!
Please pin -->>
Like I said, cutting the plates wasn't too difficult with the right tool.
Don't forget to visit my Amazon shop for supplies and decor I love!
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