DIY trendy up-light

I had the same thought as you probably are right now staring at this photo. An oatmeal can. Wow. What on earth could I make from this for one of my craft club challenges? Certainly not a trendy up-light!?

Well, after browsing craft stores for an entire afternoon, I finally ran across some beautiful handmade paper in the sale bin of Michaels. Then I found a sheet of copper mesh. What it was for, I had no idea. I don’t even remember where I discovered it. But I’ve really been drawn to metallic tones lately, so I grabbed it.

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The rest probably needs no explanation. I wrapped the oatmeal can with the paper. Then I cut the copper mesh to an appropriate size to wrap around the can, leaving the top a few inches taller. Before wrapping the can, I used a pencil to neatly fold the top edge of the copper into a uniformly rolled edge. Next, I wrapped the copper around the can, securing it down one seam with several metal brads.

Now that the oatmeal can looked pretty darn cool, what to do with it? I bought a small LED light and adhered it to the bottom inside of the can. With just a touch, the light switches on, and you have a lovely up-light to add ambience to a room. I haven’t yet found a spot for it, but I’m thinking placed on the floor behind a big plant would look awesome.

There you have it – a trendy up-light from an oatmeal can.