How to Make Silver and Gold Tin stars from soda cans. **Tutorial added page 2**

unemployed,lots of free time, limited funds, limited materials, soda can sitting in front of me of gold and shiny, hmmm...............

The silver stars are the inside of the can, I used a punch to add texture

Let me know what you think!

~~Tutorial on page two!~~

Edited by sweets4ever to insert tutorial:

Quote from: teag on December 14, 2007 10:33:26 AM

Wow this thread has grown since I left. well You asked for it so here it is:

1. take a suitable- semi attractive, empty beverage can (rinse it out first)

2. using tin snips remove the top, cut down along the seam (it's a printed seam, not an actual seam)then cut off the bottom.

you should have a semi-flat piece of tin like this (the tin refuses to lay flat unless you crease it and you do not want to crease it)

3.Using your star pattern and a permanent marker trace your star onto your flattened piece of tin, Pay attention to the placement of your pattern if you are using the printed side, you may not want type to show up on your ornaments, at this point I cut out the gold star only ,using a regular pair of scissors (I got only one gold star on each can that I wanted to use) Bonus* my scissors are super sharp now

My star pattern was made using the: Cut a five pointed star in one snip featured on the Betsy Ross website here: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagstar.html
(I just love this Star and have found so many uses for this technique)

4- using a small hammer and some punches, I texture the remaining tin, then I cut out my remaining stars (don't cut out the stars before texturing as it will misshapen your stars)

5.Now that all your stars are cut out it's time to fold, Yes Fold, Place you star right side down,we will be folding up the side that will not be seen. Place a metal ruler from star tip to the inner point (directly across from the star tip) Holding the ruler firmly bend the star up,you want a nice crease but be careful, the tin will split if folded too much ( I found it helpful to use another metal ruler to help fold up the star) continue folding until all five points have been creased.

6. Pinch you star tips, that right I said pinch them, as you pinch your tips you will notice that the inner point concave or fold inward that's exactly what you want. Continuing pinching until all star tips have been pinched.

7. using my metal ruler I carefully sharpen each inner fold and outer fold until I am happy with the way it looks

I developed this technique several years ago, last year I made stars out of the Christmas card I received (I receive and send over 100 cards each year). I attached a backing and a small clothes pins, placed them along a decorative cord. Now Last year's cards display this year's cards!