Copper Sunflower Garden Stake

By: Jana Ewy for Amaco

Unlike your seasonal flowers, this shiny sunflower garden stake from AMACO will never wilt.

If you like decorative garden stakes like this, be sure to check out the Bee Garden Stake and the Butterfly Garden Stake to have a garden that truly shines!

Materials:

AMACO ArtEmboss — Light 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

Instructions:

Enlarge pattern pieces to the desired size, copy onto card stock and cut out. (Pattern below)
Trace around pattern pieces onto the Light Copper ArtEmboss® using a stylus and cut out. • 1 leaf • 2 flower centers • 9 small petals • 9 large petals
Draw veins on each of the flower petals and the leaf. Give a soft hammered texture to each by placing the pieces onto a sheet of fun foam and lightly pounding with the eraser end of a pencil. Gently roll over each piece with a brayer to flatten back out.
Place one of the flower centers onto the fun foam and make evenly spaced perforations in it using the needle tool.
Place the Light Copper pieces 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.
Trace two flower center patterns onto the tape sheet and cut out. Remove the white liner and adhere to the wrong side of each copper flower center. Remove the red liner from the plain flower center and apply the large flower petals, making sure they are evenly spaced around the center. Apply the small flower petals in between the large. Press to secure.
Remove the red liner from the back of the perforated flower center and secure into place over the petals.
Cut a 1" x 21/2" piece of Light Copper ArtEmboss® and wrap it around the end of the WireForm® WireRod, forming a tube. Remove the tube and squeeze one end flat with pliers. Glue the tube to the back of the flower using E6000 glue. Let glue dry completely.
Free form the Aluminum WireForm® WireRod (flower stem) into desired shape. Wrap the end of the leaf around the stem where desired. Secure by wrapping a 6" length of Clear/Copper Fun Wire™ around both the rod and the end of the leaf.
Place the flower on the stem by sliding the rod into the tube on the back of the flower.