Crafting with Aluminum Cans-Colorful Colorado Pale Ale
One of my favorite crafting techniques is to cut shapes out of aluminum cans and add them to my card creations.
You can view my aluminum can creations HERE
I’m always on the lookout for interesting designs and colors on aluminum cans.
Fortunately, my husband is a craft beer drinker and is always bringing home new beers to try. Often, these beers have interesting labels on the cans. My husband drinks the beer, then I confiscate the cans to create!
This was certainly the case with cans of Colorful Colorado Pale Ale made by Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont Colorado.
I was able to make two cards out of one can.
The first card reminds me of an old-time postcard.
It’s a perfect sentiment for me: “Greetings from Colorado!”
And, I like how the sky is a perfect match to the Grapefruit Grove and Lovely Lipstick Foil Sheets that were available during Sale-A-Bration.
Here’s the second card created using the other side of the can. On this side, the Left Hand logo is dropped down a little more, so it made it harder to cut the can using straight edges. So, I trimmed around the mountain and down below to the logo. The top of the mountain sticks above the card.
Here’s a picture taken from their website of what the can look like.
I should have taken a photo before cutting it up!
Hope you’ll give this a try.
If you do, you’ll never look at aluminum cans the same again!
Supplies Used:
Paper: Night of Navy, Crushed Curry, Pool Party, Grapefruit Grove, and Lovely Lipstick Foil Sheets
Accessories: alum can, tin snips, scissors, Mini Dimensionals
Crafting with Aluminum Cans-Colorful Colorado Pale Ale
0 Responses
Alicia, I sent you an e mail, but here is my response in case you didn’t receive it.
Hi, Thanks for your kind words.
This is one of my all-time favorite crafting techniques. I have used hundreds of cans over the years. I started with cutting snowflakes out of Coke, Sprite and Ginger Ale cans. Now, with the craft beers, the possibilities are endless!
When I first started, I remember leaving a restaurant parking lot where several Bud Light cans had been tossed. I had my husband wait while I collected them to bring home!
While you are cutting open the can, yes, it is very sharp. (tin snips to start the cut at the opening, then craft scissors to remove the top rib, then cut down the center usually where the nutrient facts are printed, then along the bottom rib to remove. Throw the ribs away and flatten the can to cut with a punch, die or scissors. I have never drawn blood, but I am careful. Surprisingly, once the can has been punched with a punch or cut with a die, the edges are no longer sharp. For the Colorful Colorado can, I just trimmed it down using my guillotine paper cutter. I don’t think the edges were sharp, but honestly, I didn’t even think about it.
I have a whole section on projects I have created using aluminum cans:
https://stampingwithbluemooncreations.com/my_weblog/aluminum-can-snowflakes/
At the bottom, there is a link to a video tutorial I did years ago.
Hope that helps.
Let me know how it goes. Have fun!
Wow, this is so creative. Are the cans sharp when you cut them? Do you do anything special to keep them from being sharp? Can you paint in acrylics or markers on them? As you can tell this is very interesting to me…lol.