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Plate Flower Stakes with Leaves

flowers12
11 years ago

I've seen a few stakes with leaves made of copper and somehow attached to the stake. I'm thinking that maybe soda/beer cans could be cut for the leaves and spray painted green but I'm not sure what the best method of attaching them would be. I'm wondering if they would fall off easily if bumped. Has anyone done this?

Comments (10)

  • cadillactaste
    11 years ago

    On Etsy a seller has copper wire wrapping around the stem as a vine not over and over like a spool of thread. So you see the stem through the wire. Then has the wire attached to the leaf. Looked real pretty. The leaf was hammered copper. Very pretty indeed!

  • flowers12
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I just looked at Etsy and yes, this is really nice! It looked to me like the wire may be welded on the stem. That was what I was wondering about. I didn't want to try and glue the wire onto the stem if it would easily get knocked off. I'm going to start experimenting on making leaves for my stems. Thanks for the information!
    Marilyn

  • flowers12
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I made some leaves from soda cans and they are too thin to work on plate flowers. Maybe if I glued 4 layers together they might be strong enough. I'll try that and see what happens. I know you can buy copper sheets at the hardware store so I might as well try that also while I'm at it. I'm just not sure how I can attach them to the copper tubing or pvc stems. I think solder would work on copper tubing instead of welding.

  • laurastheme
    11 years ago

    I played around with wire and leaf around the stem once. I drilled a hole in the pipe, bent about 1" of the wire, put into the hole and wrapped it round the pipe. I looked at the one etsy. Looks great, but $20 for the pipe and $20 for shipping. YIKES!!

  • cadillactaste
    10 years ago

    I just asked the seller If she should make a listing for just the leaves...because I have the stems already. I was going to have a friend solder it on...he is a plumber. Hoping more reasonable...or I'll make them myself.

    Just bought an owl plate flower from her...so hoping she may...shipping was high as well. But I am an avid bird watcher...and her owl...well this one didn't have such round eyes like owls do.

    Posted a photo of it.

  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    10 years ago

    You can buy a solderless bonding agent this one is a brand that is used frequently for bonding copper to copper.
    Just For Copper JFC050 1.85 Ounce Solderless Copper Bonding

    another brand
    Noble 80582 Copper-Bond Epoxy Adhesive

    edit to fix link

    This post was edited by ravencajun on Wed, Jun 12, 13 at 13:31

  • cadillactaste
    10 years ago

    Raven...much appreciated! I won't have to ask our friend...

    So much for combined shipping in one box...oh well...surely better than paying $21 for part of what I already own...which are the stems.

    $17 to make just leaves and the twisty vine that wraps around the stem. If you noticed her leaf is not small but really dramatically large. I want them...so it is better than the $21. I would imagine shipping should be a bit cheaper without the stems...

    This post was edited by cadillactaste on Thu, Jun 13, 13 at 8:52

  • mommyandme2
    10 years ago

    Thanks for this tip ! Our local HD doesn't have either product, so I ordered some "Just for Copper" from Amazon.
    I have many yards of salvaged copper wire & quite a few pieces of sheet copper that were given to me. Will post photos & report on results. - Laura

  • cadillactaste
    10 years ago

    Laura how great is that! All the material there but the stuff to attach it to. Definitely post photos of it when you get it finished. Since I don't have anything on hand...I am biting the bullet and buying just the leaves and vine that attaches it to the leaf...because it makes the flowers I think!

    Can't wait to see your finished product!

  • mamabear
    10 years ago

    What do you use to attach the Plate to the Stem?
    You guy's are sooo... Talented!

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