Would you love to make a Christmas present or decoration this year that is both fun and environmentally friendly? Scrap metal art is one way that you can recycle old metal that you have lying around the home, and transform it into a talking point that your friends and family are sure to notice. Here is everything you need to know about making a scrap metal rooster.

You Will Need:

• A metal watering can
• An old rake
• Two metal serving forks
• An empty food can
• Hammer
• Metal adhesive
• Bicycle chain wheel (also known as a chainring)
• Metal snips
• 80 grit sandpaper
• Drill and drill bits
• Screws
• Clear sealant spray

If you do not have any of the metal components listed above at home, head down to your local scrap metal recycling depot to see what can be purchased cheaply down there. The size of the chain wheel has been deliberately omitted so you are inspired to buy what you think will fit your metal rooster vision. The key to scrap metal art is to use what you can find, not to buy specifically what you need brand new.

The metal snips, adhesive, sandpaper, and clear sealant spray can be purchased at your home hardware store. The sealant will be applied at the end of the project to prevent rust, so let the store assistant know what you are using it for, and then they can recommend the right product.

Assembling The Rooster

The first step you need to take before putting the rooster together is to get rid of any rough edges on the metal using the sandpaper. Cutting your finger on dirty scrap metal could lead to tetanus, so take some time to sand back all the sharp edges first. Once that is done, it is time to put your rooster together.

1. The body of your rooster is the metal watering can. The spout will hold the face and the handle will hold the tail.
2. Bend the prongs of the two metal forks until they are sitting flat on your work bench with the handles sticking straight upwards. Next, bend the handle of each fork to a 90 degree angle midway up the handle. Using your drill, drill a hole through the flat, bent portion of the handle and the bottom of the bucket. Attach the two fork handles to the bottom of your bucket using the screws. This now gives your bucket body two feet to stand on.
3. Remove the handle from the rake. The metal rake spikes make a perfect rooster tail. Attach the tail to the handle of the bucket by drilling holes in the bucket handle to line up with those already on the rake spikes. Attach the tail to the handle using small screws.
4. The face of the rooster comes last, and this part is purely up to your imagination. The bicycle chain wheel will make up the face, and you should remove 75% of the teeth on the outside of the wheel using your metal snips. The remaining teeth will be the crown of your rooster.
5. To make up a rooster mouth, flatten an old (clean) food can with a hammer. Using the metal snips, cut a beak shape and attach it to the chain wheel using metal adhesive.
6. If feeling particularly creative, you can also cut out the shape of a rooster wattle (the flap of skin that hangs under the beak) and attach it to the wheel using the metal adhesive.
7. Once you are happy with the way your rooster looks, apply a coat of clear sealant so that your rooster is protected against rust when you place it outside.

Now that you know how to make a scrap metal rooster, it is time to gather your design ideas, your scrap metal and your tools for a fun project. No two roosters ever look alike, so you can delight in knowing that you have created a truly unique gift or decoration this Christmas.