Hello Beach Weather!

I love the beach, and I'm lucky to live in a tropical region where the majority of the year the weather is good enough that I can go and chill out on the beach pretty much whenever I like. It's just hit spring though so the weathers warming up and you just know that in a few short weeks the rain's going to abate and the sun's going to shine down making the beach a hot destination. Fortunately for me, there's a beautiful beach not more than five minutes from my home. Speaking of the beach, I met one of the owners of a gorgeous little boutique website today called White Coconut, They were having a pop-up sale in my local mall and I swear, it was love at first sight. They had jewelry from a local jewelry designer, gorgeous Moroccan candle vases, fun handmade cushions and these outdoor lamps made of driftwood. Holy moly, I had to practice some serious self control.

My favorite pieces by far were the hand pressed metal candle votives and it reminded me of a tutorial I found a while back. I adore this look and it's such a simple thing to recreate.

Credit

You will need:

recycled tin cans
hammer
nail
bailing wire
pliers
spray paint
tea light candle

Step 1:  Remove labels and glue from the cans.  I've found WD-40 to be very helpful with removing the glue.

Step 2:  To keep the bottom of the can from bulging out, put 2 or 3 inches of water in the can and let that freeze, then top off the can and freeze again.  Leave them in until the ice is solid.  This helps the can hold its shape for the next steps.

Step 3:  Take your frozen can out of the freezer. Using a hammer and nail, pound a hole near the top of the can.  Flip the can over and make another hole straight across from the first hole.  These will be used for the handle later on.

Step 4:  Make your design.  Use the hammer and nail to start punching out a design in your can.  You can draw it our before hand or wing it.  Either way, they turn out nicely.

Step 5:  Once your design is all finished, let the ice melt out of the can and dry it out.

Step 6:  Upon turning the can over, you'll notice a big bulge in the bottom.  This comes from freezing water in it.  But, it can be fixed!  Just pound it down with a hammer so that it sits flat.

Step 7:  Time to make a handle.  Cut a 12 inch strip of bailing wire and curve the end of it to form a hook.  Stick the hook through one of the top side holes.

Step 8:  Twist the hook around to secure it.  Make a hook on the other end of the wire.  Stick it in the side hole on the other side and twist it around.  There's your handle!

Step 9: Time for some spray paint!  Paint several coats on to cover the entire can and handle.

Step 10:  Once the paint is dry, insert tea light candles and light them up! You're all ready to go!

Happy crafting!