Flower Made of Scrap Nails

This is exactly what it sounds like: a flower made out of nails. After many home improvement projects our old home owner had quite a few construction scraps. I found a bucket of old rusty scrap nails. So, I did the only thing I could with them, weld them together of course! This project will set you back approximately zero dollars and will help clean out that old nail collection in your garage.

To complete this craft you will need:

• A bunch of scrap nails.
• Welding equipment (preferably wire feed).
• Welding P.P.E.
• A plumbing torch.
• Two pairs of pliers.

Arrange four nails so that they are in the shape of a square with each nail being a side (Like in the picture). Weld each of the nails together so that you have a solid square. Then start placing nails on top of the square until the entire square is covered. Connect the nails to the square and each other by running a bead on either side of the square. If you think the nails aren't connected enough you can always weld them on the bottom too. Now the base is finished. Set it aside until later.

The stem is the easiest part. Take three or so nails and put them in a straight line on your workbench. Weld them together using quick tack welds. Make the stem as long or short as you want. As always, remember, this isn't a science it's an art. So, you can make it however you want it. Set aside the stem we will connect it later.

To make the leaves you will need to find four nails that are the same size. Set your plumbing torch on a firm surface and turn the flame on. Pick up a nail and with both your pliers so that you are holding on to both ends. Then hold the middle of the nail in the torch's flame. Wait until the nail starts turning red/orange. As soon as it starts glowing in the middle bend the nail with the pliers by pulling both ends together. Bend the nail until it makes a 120 degree angle (a little larger than a right angle). Bend the other three nails in the exact same way. Once the nails are all bent, put them in pairs and set them with the sharp end of each nail touching the head of the next. You should end up with to leaf shapes. Now you need to weld the leaves together where the nails are touching. Remember, when you are welding thin things like nails you may need to lower the settings on your welder so as not to melt through your materials. Now that you have finished the leaves, stem, and base, we can move on to the actual flower. Set aside the leaves you will need them soon.

To weld the flower you will need quite a few of the same sized nail. To start with, lay for nails out in a + shape. Then add nails evenly spaced wherever want until they form a circular flower shape. Make sure at the center of the flower all the nails are touching each-other. Then very carefully without bumping the nails, weld a bead in the center of the flower. Expand the bead until every single nail is connected. Be careful not to weld the nails to your table.

Set the base you made earlier on your workbench. Take the stem and hold it at a 90 degree angle to the base. Weld the stem to the base. Now connect the flower to the stem by holding the flower with one hand and the weld gun with the other. Weld together with a quick'n'sturdy tack weld. Now lie the flower down on your workspace so it is easier to weld on the leaves. I've found that the leaves look nice if you separate them slightly and put them towards the middle or bottom of the stem. Holding the leaf with one hand and the weld gun with the other, weld the leaves on to the stem wherever you please.

Yay! You're finished. These flowers make a great mother's day gift or house decoration. Thanks for reading, and as always enjoy the finished product.