DIY Decor For Every Season

Quick Metal DIY Decor Ideas for Any Season!

Interested in creating your own decor this year? We would love to help! Online Metals has decided to curate a regularly updated blog article with metal DIY decor for every season.

NEW PROJECTS ADDED! We have just added some new Summer Projects & BBQ DIY including a DIY fire pit, portable fire pit grill, and even a nice outdoor chair.

Feel free to scan through any of the following decor sections below using the table of contents. Every season has projects ranging from easy and complex, with content that can be more craft/hobbyist focused or more metalworking focused.

CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS: If you are working on a project you would like placed in this article email us at [email protected] and mention this blog post.

Projects By Season

Halloween DIY Projects

Fall / Thanksgiving DIY Projects

Winter Wonderland DIY Projects

Late Winter DIY Garden Preparation

Summer Projects & BBQ DIY

Full YouTube Playlist

Halloween DIY Projects

DIY Tin Can Pumpkins (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Spray paint your tin can
  2. Hammer hole at the top of your can
  3. Stencil leaves on paper
  4. Cut and spiral wire hanger
  5. Sand down for a gritty look
  6. Decorate with twigs, hanger, and paper leaves

Go back to top

DIY Gas Can Pumpkin (INTERMEDIATE)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Paint the gas can with a black base layer
  2. Cover in Elmers glue-all, and let sit 5-10 minutes
  3. Cover again with orange paint
  4. Use a design template of your choice to outline the face
  5. Using a cotton ball, dab black paint over your template

Sheet Metal Jack-o-lantern (COMPLEX)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Download or design your own CAD file
  2. Setup machine to cut according to your design
  3. Bend/fold your material into its proper positioning
  4. Weld ends together
  5. Paint your desired color
  6. Let dry, and add lighting or candle for luminaire effect

Go back to top

Fall / Thanksgiving DIY Projects

Fall Porch Decoration (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Fill the pot base with objects to weigh it down, and take up space (Stones, Bottles, etc.)
  2. Fill the pot with potting soil
  3. Cover your tomato cage with chicken wire, cut to size, and attache to the cage
  4. Secure the cage upside down into the pot
  5. Add chicken wire as filler inside of the cage
  6. Add all sorts of beautiful gourds!
  7. Place one gourd on top using the legs of the tomato cage to hold it in place
  8. Use additional wire to hold the legs together

Go back to top

Floral Metal Pumpkin Centerpiece (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Disassemble the hanging parts off of both baskets
  2. Line up and stack the baskets to form the pumpkin shape
  3. Zip Tie the baskets together
  4. Create the stem using chicken wire
  5. Spray paint both the basket and chicken wire black
  6. Attach the stem to the top with the black wire
  7. Put the floral foam centered on the bottom
  8. Fill the foam with the variety of florals that meet your aesthetic

Go back to top

Fall Metal Ring Wreath (INTERMEDIATE)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Take 3 flowers off of their stem
  2. Cut the leaves off of the stem as well
  3. Then glue 3 leaves on the back of each flower
  4. Use foam to give the pumpkins some more depth on the wreath
  5. Use a ribbon as a base to glue and hold the florals in place
  6. Glue the ring in between the ribbon and the florals
  7. Do the same with the foam squares
  8. Now glue the pumpkins on top of the foam
  9. Add the two picks to the side and wrap them around the ring
  10. Use twine and make a loop to hang it with.

Go back to top

Metal Turkey Pumpkin Decor (COMPLEX)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Cut out designs or get your material cut by a professional
  2. Outline / Mark the pumpkin where you will insert your turkey parts
  3. Insert the Turkey Parts
  4. Wrap a fall garland around the pumpkin
  5. Place your beautiful metal turkey pumpkin out front or around your home!

Go back to top

Winter Wonderland DIY Projects

Bike Chain Star Ornament (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Place your bike chain in an empty bottle and fill up roughly a quarter with dish soap
  2. Shake vigorously to clean
  3. Empty the contents and dry / wash off the remaining soap
  4. Detach gears at about eleven screws apart, and connect the ends to each other
  5. Measure out the proper distance to crunch the gear into a star shape with nails in a board, to hold its position while you glue.
  6. Glue all of the connecting pieces with super glue and let sit.
  7. You can repeat a few times to create multiple stars
  8. Add a thin metal wire to hang as an ornament on your tree!

Go back to top

Welded Silverware Star Ornament (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Mark 4 of the forks 1″ up the tines and two of the forks on the top of the tines
  2. Take the cutoff wheel and cut everywhere we marked.
  3. We are going to use the wider outside tines to weld our little edges and us the narrower tines without anything on them
  4. Set the two small tips up to the full tine and weld them together (Make four of these)
  5. Layout the final welded tines in a cross pattern and the narrow thin tines in between and weld them all together
  6. Create a hanging device bending a small extra tine and weld it on the back
  7. Clean off the weld the discoloration using a stainless steel wire brush or a pneumatic die grinder
  8. Take your ribbon and string it through the back
  9. You can take it a step further and bend the year in the aluminum filler rod and jump ring (This is if you plan on continuing the tradition)

Go back to top

Welded Horseshoe Christmas Tree (INTERMEDIATE)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Line four horseshoes our horizontally  on your table (upside down)
  2. Continue to line up with one less horsehoe until you reach the top. Keep the pieces centered to form a Christmas tree
  3. Set up your MIG welder, and use solid MIG wire.
  4. To make clean up a lot easier, use vegetable oil, and spray it across your whole project.
  5. Weld the ends together
  6. Weld one more horseshoe to the bottom center, and connect three to the base and create a stand
  7. Wipe it down with paint thinner and prep for painting
  8. Pain with the 1 can of Rust_Oleum Hammer Paint Bronze

You could also try a Welded Horseshoe Reindeer if trees aren’t your thing…

Go back to top

Christmas Winter Village Scene with USB Powered LED Lighting (COMPLEX)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Gather your measurements for where this will be displayed.
  2. Build a mockup using corrugated cardboard and hot glue (feel free to just use Bernies plans if you want to skip this step)
  3. Test the lights to ensure you are getting the light and shadow effect you are looking for
  4. Create your final vector to scale and add the art into Rhino to produce a 3d model and dimensional drawings (Feel free to use Bernies)
  5. Setup the tool paths base on your router bits for roughing and finish
  6. Program in strategically placed holes to screw plywood down to your spoil board.
  7. Check your simulation closely to spot problems before making the part
  8. Cut the plywood into machine ready sizes.
  9. Fire up your CNC Router to make your first panel
  10. Sand or use a brass brush to take off all of the fuzzy edges
  11. Seal these panels up and prepare for the table saw parts for the bottom and sides
  12. To ensure that everything lines up cut the lanes first, and then proceed with the rest of the structural parts
  13. Paint the surface with the matte white primer to get the color you need
  14. Glue all the parts together and clamp together using rubber bands
  15. Add the wiring/ lighting to fit properly into your structure and install at your site

Go back to top

Late Winter DIY Garden Preparation

Scrap Metal Flower Art (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Cut 1/8″ strips of square tubing with your band saw
  2. Markup the leaves on 18 Gauge Sheet Metal (or whatever you have available)
  3. Cut the leaves out with something similar to the CaNibble sheet metal nibbler
  4. Next, bend some metal round bar into the stem/stems
  5. Hold up your stem piece with a vise, and cut 1/4″ inch out of the strips originally cut out.
  6. Properly adjust the settings on your welder and begin to weld the full circle of strips you cut out to make the center of the flower at the top of the stem.
  7. Weld the leaves to the base.
  8. Spray paint the colors you would like for your flowers! (Cover the top to spray paint the stem)
  9. Use scrap/firewood and build cut out a circular base with a band saw.
  10. Insert the metal flower into the base and ensure it has a tight fit.
  11. Feel free to add anything to the base you find necessary for stability.

Go back to top

Iron Flower Shelf Plant Holder (INTERMEDIATE)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Cut 4 equal lengths out of your round bar and sharpen/taper the edges, and two shorter support bars and bend the sharp edges into a hook
  2. Hammer the tip of the sharp edges into a curl and continue to bend for aesthetics
  3. Ensure the bottoms have a slight bend
  4. Create four additional hooks with curls for aesthetics, which will be welded on the side of the long bars
  5. Weld the slightly bent sides together and then weld the support bars near the curled side of the long bars
  6. You will now take three small steel bars and form a small square measured out to your desired width, with additional crossbars as support.
  7. You will do this five times to have 5 layers.
  8. Next, we will add the two shorter bars cut earlier for the base for the bottom of the shelf holder. We will add interior bars to this as well for additional plant support.
  9. You will then add/weld your square layers around the outside and the top to hold your plants.

Go back to top

Make A Wrought Iron Gate (COMPLEX)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Start by forming the outer shape (essentially a rectangle with a half-circle top)
  2. Create a work area by putting square tubes on top of saw-horses and clamp down
  3. Tack weld the steel frame together
  4. Use belt grinder to clean up welds
  5. Prepare panels by cutting the steel for the dividers and pieces for scrolls
  6. Find the right length using experimentation
  7. Prepare the ends of each bar by heating and bending them so that they fit into the scrolling jig
  8. Form scrolls using scroll jig and fork
  9. As the bend happens at different heights on the jig, some adjustments are needed to keep the scrolls aligned.
  10. Now do the same procedure but on the other side of the bar (make sure to bend in the right direction)
  11. Begin to weld in the scrolls (use metal spacers to ensure the scrolls end up in the middle of the frame)
  12. Make another divider higher up on the door for another line of decorative scrolls
  13. If the scrolls don’t fit, as they aren’t exactly the same, you will need to compress them
  14. Weld rings across the center of the door for the design
  15. Form the next set of scrolls (double spiral) putting multiple irons in the fire and repeating the process for efficiency
  16. Examine the double scrolls and cut them down to length if needed
  17. Clamp and weld in the final scrolls into the main door to meet your design needs
  18. Final clean up of most welds
  19. Weld the hinges to the steel pillars, to help the hinges rotate use a centered bronze tube that can be lubricated
  20. Paint the gate to meet your desired appearance

Go back to top

Summer Projects & BBQ DIY

Making A Portable Fire Pit Grill (EASY)

What You Will Need:

Steps:

  1. Gather the materials needed for the build and lay them out
  2. Cut the angle iron to size and into the ideal rectangle or square for your fireplace
  3. Weld the angle iron together at all corners
  4. Cut the expanded sheet to the necessary size and weld it to the angle iron frame
  5. Drill a hole into the collar so you can drive in a bolt for tightening and loosening over the main pipe
    1. If your steel is too hard to drill a hole, you can weld on a nut for the same effect.
  6. Test out the bolt tightening and loosening, make adjustments as necessary
  7. Weld movable collar to the side of the angle iron frame
  8. Cut the pipe to the size wanted, and sharpen the bottom for the easy ground entrance
  9. Weld rebar in the shape of a rectangle to allow the user to aid in puncturing the ground.

Go back to top

How to Make a DIY Fire Pit from Steel (INTERMEDIATE)

What You Will Need:

Fire Pit Dimensions (2ft. x 2ft.)

Steps:

  1. Get your steel sheet cut into three 32″x48″ sheets for easier mobility
  2. Mark the sheet to your required dimensions to cut the sides with a table saw
    1. Lower the blade to have one full tooth exposed under the cut
    2. Clamp your material down
    3. Put more even downward pressure for a smoother cut
    4. Remove the 2×4″ from under the cut
    5. Keep a moderate, but not fast pace
  3. Cut the straight sides and the bottom to width and to length
  4. Cut 45-degree angles in the ends to join the top and save the offcut triangle
  5. Use a miter saw and a t-bevel to measure out a 37-degree angle for the base
  6. Transfer to chop saw, and cut the tubes where marked. You can also use an angle grinder or cutoff wheel
  7. Cut the four sections of the legs with the 37-degree angle setup for top and bottom
  8. Ensure you get a level top for the support legs
  9. Layout the legs and make sure the support is ready for welding, cut until they are ready
  10. Cutdown the triangle cut-offs intohalves\tinier triangles for better support later
  11. Use 60 grit flat disc to bevel the edges of all the square tubes
    1. This gives the welding filler material a place to go
    2. Having clean metal is the easiest for welding
  12. Weld the leg assembly together
  13. Use multi-angle magnets to tack weld the top sides of the grill together
  14. Weld the bottom of the pit to the angle sides
  15. Grind/round the corners, edges, and welds to smooth out the firepit
  16. Weld the leg assembly to the legs
  17. Drill holes for drainage and airflow and weld small triangles in the inside to lay the grill onto
  18. Cut four pieces of the 3/4″ round rod at 24″, and another 9 pieces at 12″ with a cutoff wheel and grinder
  19. Create the outer frame with 2 24″ pieces and 2 12″ pieces and weld them together
  20. Layout the rest of the 12″ pieces on top of the frame at about 3″ apart
  21. Use the final two 24″ pieces on the bottom of the frame for support

Go back to top

DIY Modern Outdoor Chair Build (INTERMEDIATE)

What Will You Need:

Steps:

  1. Create a Scaled Drawing
  2. Start with 45-degree cuts around the corners of the base using a handheld angle grinder and finished with a chop saw.
    1. When cutting the angles for the chair’s back, first decide which angle you want to lean on. Angle your saw edge to its complementary angle and cut the tubing.
  3. Before welding together the metal base, bevel your edges for a sturdy weld.
  4. You’ll also want to tack all of your welds before doing a full weld to ensure that all of your angles fit together perfectly.
  5. Once everything looks right, weld with the Lincoln Electric Weld Pack 140.
  6. Clean up your welds with an angle grinder for a smooth, seamless look.
  7. Cut the wood for the seat and back of the chair. You can do this using some scrap around your shop.
  8. Once cut, make a countersink for the screws and route out curves on the edges of the wood for a more comfortable seat.
  9. Clean off the metal base with some acetone and prime it with a self-etching primer.
  10. From there, spray it with a white enamel finish for long-lasting, quality color, and rub-down the wood with teak oil because it’s water-resistant and perfect for natural-looking outdoor furniture.
  11. One your metal and wood have the finishes applied, it’s time for final build-up. Measure the space between each of the wood panels, muscle-ing in screws with an impact driver.
  12. For the back, it helps to use a clamp for each piece.

Go back to top

Shop For Supplies
Don't forget to share this post!