The Art of Tin Punch
Essential Tools, Tips, and Easy Designs for Making Ornaments
With its name something of a misnomer, tin punch techniques are used to imprint decorative patterns on lightweight tin, copper flashing, aluminum cans, and other items. Only a few simple materials are needed to transform the materials into unique ornaments or home decor items.
Both the materials and the chosen craft project are important in the art of tin punch. The resulting crafts vary, since patterns range from simple, straightforward designs to complicated scrolls and flowers. The tools play a significant role in shaping those patterns, varying from fine points and star-shaped tips to smooth indents, depending upon the chosen
Choosing the Materials
DIfferent materials lend themselves better to different types of tin punch projects. Most commonly chosen today is lightweight flashing, usually copper or gold, rolled around a tube. The flashing is a popular choice for making Christmas tree ornaments, garlands, and other easy-to-craft items.
Aluminum flashing (and lightweight tin) are often punched with designs and used as trim, pie safe panels, lantern covers, and other large, somewhat heavy-duty decorative items. While lightweight tin is usually made available in sheets, aluminum flashing is usually available in roll form.
Aluminum materials like empty cans from coffee, vegetables, or other items can be cleaned out and tin punched for use as indoor and outdoor lanterns, votive lights, and other decorative items.Before punch the empty cans, however, fill them with water and freeze them until solid. This technique will keep the materials from bending out of proportion during the tin punch procedure.
Choosing the Pattern
Patterns are free online or available for purchase through books devoted to the subject of tin or metal punch. An ambitious crafter may prefer to draw their own, since the patterns simply consister of a connect-the-dots type pattern meant to serve as a guide for punching the design.
Other artists prefer to adapt candlewicking designs or trace the dots over an easy clip art design, such as stars, Christmas trees, or hearts. Patterns are typically copied or cut out, then position on the material surface and taped in place. Punched patterns can be stored and reused, so long as the paper remains intact and the subject's outline is still clearly visible.
Selecting the Tools
The most basic – and common – materials needed for tin punch are a hammer and a small nail. A small craft hammer is strong enough to drive a nail through the surface of most lightweight materials and a variety of nail sizes provides a range of piercing sizes and indentations to match any pattern.
For unique points and holes, try using a phillip's head screwdrive to create a "star-shaped" symbol for a pattern or embellish a snowflake-like design on a Christmas ornament's surface. A flat-head screwdrive punches narrow, slit-like lines that trace along the branches of a Christmas tree or cat's whisker's on a pattern.
Whether recreating the perfect pattern or crafting a unique ornament, the art of tin punch is both fun and simple for beginning crafters and artists. The basic steps and materials behind the art form are just the beginning of more elaborate projects for enthusiasts.
A Tin Punch Ornament Amidst Christmas Decorations
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