How to Make Victorian Copper Garden Art

Copper Pipe Projects

• 1

  Cut 13 6-inch-long pieces of copper pipe. Clamp the cutter around the pipe and turn it until it slices through.

• 2

  Place 10 four-way copper connectors on the ground in parallel rows of five. Place the 13 copper tubes between the copper connectors to create a grid. Glue the tubing into the connectors with silicone caulk. Allow the trellis to dry overnight.

• 3

  Create opulent insect decorations while your trellis dries. Cut a 6-inch piece of copper tubing and a 4-foot piece. Glue the 6-inch piece to the left opening in a three-way connector and the 4-foot piece into the center opening. Allow them to dry overnight.

• 4

  Cut about 6 feet of 20-gauge copper wire. Bend and twist the wire into dragonfly, butterfly or even birds' wings. Glue these wings to the back of the three-way connector.

• 5

  Seat your insect decorations and trellis into the ground. Victorians trellised vining flowers and produce to show them off. They also liked delicate winged insect and bird motifs.

Copper Filigree Designs

• 6

  Lay out your copper flashing and draw a grid onto it with a grease pencil. The squares in the grid may be as large or small as you like, but they should be even. Cut the squares apart with tin snips as you would cut paper with scissors.

• 7

  Draw a different Victorian-inspired design on each copper square. You can draw silhouettes of people in Victorian dress, butterflies, dragonflies, sparrows, scarab beetles, bees or delicate filigree designs.

• 8

  Cut out your decorations with tin snips. Work slowly to avoid cutting yourself. Use the cutting wheel on a high-speed rotary tool and eye protection to cut out filigree designs.

• 9

  Arrange your decorations. You can glue insects, birds and people to stakes and shove them into the ground in your garden. Arrange the people in groups so they look like they're conversing.

• 10

  Hang filigree designs from tree branches and building eaves. Simply tie clear fishing line to them and suspend them from sturdy branches and siding.