3 Unique Home Décor Projects Made From Scrap Metal

Welding is usually associated with industrial or fabrication processes. While welding does play an important role in these industries, welded items can also be used to add interest to your home. Scrap metal can easily be transformed into interesting and functional items through the use of welding.

Do you have scrap metal lying around your property? If so, working with a welder can give you the opportunity to recycle this scrap metal into something beautiful for your home.

1. Bookends

Bookends have become a popular decorative item on the shelves of many modern homes. Scrap metal offers the perfect medium to create bookends that you will find aesthetically pleasing and easy to style.

Horseshoe bookends are functional and will blend seamlessly into any farmhouse or country home décor theme. All you need to create your own pair of bookends is a couple of old horseshoes and some pieces of durable scrap metal.

An experienced welder can cut the scrap metal into small squares then weld two squares together at a right angle to create the base of your bookends.

Once the base is complete, a welder will use a wire brush to eliminate any rust or debris remaining on the surface of the horseshoes. You should start with a clean horseshoe so that contaminants don't interfere with the quality of the weld seam. The cleaned horseshoes can then be welded in place on the metal base.

You can alter the angle of the horseshoes to create a unique look. Instead of the traditional "U" shape displayed by many horseshoe projects, have your welder turn the shoe upside down or at an angle. Doing this will create a more interesting decorative piece for your home.

2. Jewelry Holder

Metal scraps can be transformed into a display piece that you will be happy to have in your home. Long, thin rods of metal can be joined together by an experienced welder to create a jewelry holder in the shape of a tree.

Sheet metal is used to create the base of the tree. A thicker rod is welded to the base and acts as the trunk of the tree. Smaller, thinner rods are then attached to the trunk to create branches where earrings, rings, bracelets, and other jewelry items can be stored and displayed.

One technique that your welder can employ to give your jewelry tree a whimsical and interesting look is twisting.

A metal rod is heated to make the metal pliable then placed into a twisting jig. The twisting jig allows a welder to manipulate the metal so that it curves and bends. Tree branches rarely grow in a straight line, so twisting is a must-use technique in the creation of your jewelry holder.

3. Fruit Bowl

Metal fasteners can start to pile up around your home. Washers can usually be found in ample supply, since a lot of homeowners don't use the washers included in a package of nuts and bolts. These spare washers can be combined to make an elegant fruit bowl for your kitchen counter.
A welding expert will use a bowl-shaped mold to create your washer fruit bowl. Individual washers are MIG welded together.

MIG welding allows your welder to create quality welds quickly. Weld spatter is kept to a minimum with MIG welding thanks to the gas shield that protects the arc during the MIG welding process.

The washers will become warm during the welding process, making them soft and pliable. By completing each weld over the bowl-shaped mold, your welder ensures that the washers will cool in the desired shape.

Welding is a versatile process that can transform your scrap metal into functional pieces. Contact Sam's Welding, Inc., for help with your welding project today.