Use fire to upcycle cookie tins into a flower water fountain! ‣ MyFixitUpLife

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Fire helped us repurpose cookie tins into a flower water fountain.

In search of objects for creating a flower water fountain for our front porch, we found a collection of Christmas cookie tins priced at 50 cents each at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

While the connection might not be apparent to everyone else, I was inspired immediately to create a layering effect, building the tins one-by-one on top of each other, so the water could flow from tin to tin.

The DIY part. Mark and I needed to use our Bernzomatic torches and brazing rods to connect the steel cookie tins. A good way to check if you do this project is with a refrigerator magnet. If it sticks, you’ve got steel. To make all the pieces a single sculpture, we brazed them. Using Bernzomatic’s map gas (the yellow canister) and the awesomely awesome BZ8250HT torch head to make this flower water fountain, the map gas heats the steel enough to melt the brazing rods which forms a really strong connection. It was so much fun!

The design part. I had a vision to paint the tins so they would seem like lily pads. And while we were building the water fountain, and I was looking upon the lids discarded to the side, I was inspired by a vision of Monet’s water lilies. We needed flowers. So I cut and molded the tin lids into flowers that help create the finishing look for the modern industrial interpretation of Monet’s water lilies.

‣ MyFixitUpLife 1_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Before_Spoons and tins from Habitat — Holiday cookie tins from Habitat for Humanitys ReStore and some old spoons are the materials for our summertime fountain

‣ MyFixitUpLife 4_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Torch_Brazing — Bernzomatics map gas BZ8250HT torch and brazing rods for steel make this project possible

‣ MyFixitUpLife 6_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Mark_Habitat_Tin Can — The cookie tin cascade begins Tip A cinder block is a great easy base for doing torch projects

‣ MyFixitUpLife 11_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Brazing_Mark_Tin Can_Habitat — We assembled the flower water fountain upside down We propped pieces on blocks and other supplies to get them parallel to each other

‣ MyFixitUpLife 16_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Hammer_Setup_tin can — We found keeping the tins stationary helped make the connection so a non flammable weight like a hammer or wrench was really helpful keeping the pieces still

‣ MyFixitUpLife 25_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Primer_Krylon — And now the painting begins We used Krylon primer for the base coat

‣ MyFixitUpLife 28_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Krylon_Flowers_Lid_Tin Can_Habitat — I am inspired by leftovers cut offs and other things that seem like they cant be used Old lidsnahNew lilies I cut the lids with my handy Fiskars utility snips that I keep in my tool pouch then folded the petals to create an organic look

‣ MyFixitUpLife 32_2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_Mark_Impact Driver_Dewalt_Habitat — A new coat of paint and some 14 inch drain holes The fountain is almost ready

‣ MyFixitUpLife 2016_MyFixitUpLife_Bernzomatic_Fountain_After_15 — We ran plastic tubing from a pump in the bottom of the flower pot through the flowers and over some rocks and beads

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Theresa

A handy designer and writer, she shares DIY projects, tool how-to, and home makeovers as a book author, home show speaker, DIY workshop coach, and radio host. Plus, she has a degree in journalism with a minor in architecture, and is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPs) and certified color consultant. She's created fast-paced makeovers for TV shows, and shares home trends and DIY tips as a freelance writer and guest on news shows and satellite media tours for TV and radio.

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