I was looking around for some Table Number holders, and I stumbled on and ad for 12 holders for $30… and i know I’ll never use them again! I figured, if I can make a recyclable holder, and do it for less, then I’m winning on both fronts. Here’s what I came up with:
Ingredients:
2 feet of 10 gauge bare copper wire from my local Department store ( $0.41/ft)
1 small rock that fits in a closed fist for each holder
1 pair of needle-nose pliers
1 pair of wire cutters
1 familiar movie to half-watch while you get creative
1 snack and beverage combo. I prefer Oreo’s and Milk.
Lets get down to biz!
1. Using the wire cutters, cut yourself a 2 foot length of copper wire. This is about as long as your arm if you aren’t excessively long-armed.
2. Use the needle-nose pliers too grab the end of the coper wire, and twirl this around in circles, until you have a small spiral. You can add some tape to the ends of your pliers to prevent marking your soft copper wire.
3. Bend this spiral to that it appears to sit atop the wire if held upright.
4. Grab a ball-point pen or other long slender object, and twirl the wire around this shape to add interest. Other options include adding a zigzag, twirls, etc. this is one of the reasons why we add the length. Whatever you do, add some personality to your project!
5. Grab a larger cylindrical object ( I used a flashlight here ) to help you make a spiral. You may find it easier to do this free-hand, and that’s okay too. You will be destroying the perfect shape anyways.
6. Once you have shaped the bottom, you will start to see the basic shape come to life. Exciting! Now place the rock inside this coil, and adjust the coils so they fit snugly around the rock. This is easier said than done, but the copper is very forgiving, and you can bend and re-bend it many times.
Make sure you save some length with the bottom coil so you can make a base to help your creation stand up independently.
7. Add a nifty Table Number Holder, and you’re all set!!
Total cost for 10 tables:
Copper: $8.10
Rocks: $0-5.00 ( I recommend the find-a-rock option )
Time spent: 1 hour for the first one, 5 minutes for the rest.
Some tips:
You can paint the copper and the rocks to whatever color tickles your fancy!
You can make as many or as few as possible.
You can recycle the copper when finished, and add the rocks ( back ) to your garden.
You can use recycled paper to complete the eco-friendly DIY project! Green Field Paper has paper that has wildflower seeds embedded inside, and if planted, will blossom! What a great way to re-use your wedding material!
Enjoy your new project!
Much <3,
Dave
