How to Make Aluminum Can Shamrocks and Four Leaf Clovers

If you drink something from an aluminum can in my house, I probably have a hidden agenda. No, I’m not trying to fill you full of the BPA that most likely lines the can (actually I’m sorry for subjecting you to that,) 

 Pin this recycled aluminum can craft to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

Most likely it is that I bought your favorite pop and I had to buy it in a can. Or I bought the can over the bottle version so I can use the can in recycling project. Thanks for helping me out.

I have green aluminum cans in my stash. Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up. Let’s make shamrocks!

One of cans I am using in this very Irish project is from a Scottish Ale.
 Shhh…don’t tell Ireland. Or Scotland for that matter.

You will need:

Empty and clean green color aluminum soda can

Heavy scissors or tin snips like these

Work gloves - because cut aluminum cans have sharp edges! You can find my favorite work gloves here

Heart paper punch like this one

Small circle paper punch like this one

E6000 glue - I buy E6000 glue here

Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience. 

 
Make it:

1. Wearing the gloves to protect your hands from the sharp metal edges of the cut aluminum can, use the tin snips to cut the top, bottom, and side of the pop cans using the diagram below.

Be careful handling the cut pop can. The edges may be sharp.

Photo courtesy of my food blog Lazy Budget Chef

2. Punch three hearts from the pop can for a shamrock or four hearts for a four leaf clover.




3. Punch a small circle from the aluminum an can. This will be the base we will use to make our shamrock or four leaf clover. Depending upon the size of your aluminum can circle, you may want to cut it in half with a pair of scissors so the bottom won't show on your shamrocks.

4. Optional: I played with several ideas to give my shamrock leaves texture before I moved onto Step 5.

• Emboss the leaves with an embossing folder and my Sizzix Big Shot - you can find it here
• Folded the metal leaf over the edge of a metal ruler to make a vein in each leaf.
• If you don’t have green aluminum cans or want a solid color shamrock, you can make the shamrock unprinted side up and paint it to your liking with alcohol inks.
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5. Glue three hearts onto the half circle with the pointed ends touching to make a shamrock. Glue four hearts to a circle the pointed ends touching to make a four leaf clover



6. Cut a stem shape from an aluminum can and glue it to your shamrock or four leaf clover if desired.


7. Use your aluminum soda pop can shamrocks to sham-ROCK your Saint Patrick’s Day decor!





Variation: If you do not have paper punches, you can trace a shamrock stencil onto an open  soda can with a pencil and cut it out with a pair of heavy duty scissors.

I played with embossing my stenciled aluminum can shamrocks after I cut them from the can.

What will you decorate with aluminum can shamrocks?


If you'd rather buy than DIY, check out the following options - and more! - below!

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