Butterfly Garden Stake

Create this colorful Butterfly Garden Stake from AMACO for your garden with Wireform. Pattern included.

And don't forget to check out these other garden craft ideas:  Bee Garden Stake, Copper Sunflower Garden Stake, Country Garden Plant Stakes, and Floral Plant Stakes.

Materials:

• AMACO® ArtEmboss® Pure Metal Sheets — Medium Copper
• AMACO® WireForm® WireRod — Aluminum
• AMACO® Fun Wire™ — Clear/Copper (22 Gauge)
• AMACO® Needle Tool
• AMACO® ArtEmboss® Tool Set
• ScottiCraft Ultimate Bond Tape Sheet
• E6000 Glue
• Fun Foam Sheet
• Heat Gun
• Metal Baking Sheet
• Scissors
• Brayer
• Pliers
• Pencil
• Assorted Size Circle Punches

Instructions:

1. Enlarge pattern pieces to the desired size, copy onto card stock and cut out.
    
2. Trace around pattern pieces onto the Medium Copper ArtEmboss® sheet using a stylus and cut out.
    
3. Texture and emboss the wings as desired. Read the package instructions for tips on embossing with ArtEmboss®. To give a soft hammered texture, place the copper pieces onto a sheet of fun foam and lightly pound with the eraser end of a pencil. Gently roll over each piece with a brayer to flatten back out. Perforations can be made using the needle tool, and assorted size circle punches can be used to give an interesting effect.
    
4. Place the copper onto a metal baking sheet. Heat each of the pieces with a heat gun to create a patina finish. With prolonged heat in one area the copper will turn orange, then rust, then red, then blue, then gold. By moving the heat gun around, you can create some unusual patterns of color. Let the copper cool, then continue with project.
    
5. Trace the body and wing brace patterns onto the tape sheet and cut out. Remove the white liner and adhere the tape to the wrong side of the copper body and wing brace.
    
6. Remove the red liner from the wing brace and apply a wing to each side of the brace.
    
7. Cut and fold an 8" length of Clear/Copper Fun Wire™ in half for the antennae. Make a small spiral at each end of the wire. Adhere the folded portion of the wire to the wing brace between the upper wings. Remove the red liner from the body and adhere into place over the wings and antennae. Press to secure.
    
8. Cut a 1" x 2" piece of Medium Copper ArtEmboss® and wrap it around the end of the wire rod, forming a tube. Remove the tube and squeeze one end flat with pliers. Glue the tube to the back of the ButterFly wing brace using E6000 glue. Let glue dry completely.
    
9. Free form the WireForm® WireRod Aluminum into desired shape.
    
10. Place the Butterfly onto the rod by sliding the rod into the tube on the back of the Butterfly.

For more great garden crafts, click here for our garden crafts eBook!