Copper Rose Tree

This project presents a elegant and unique copper rose tree, designed to be a decorative piece for desks and offices. The idea behind this project is to transform simple and inexpensive materials — such as copper wires from an ordinary electrical cable — into a luxurious and eye-catching piece. By using basic tools and simple steps, anyone can create this beautiful handmade copper rose tree that adds a touch of elegance and creativity to any workspace.

Tools

1. Pliers / Combination Pliers
2. Cutter / Scissors
3. Ruler

Materials

1. Electrical Cable (thin copper wires inside)
2. Thin stick (wood / metal / any material)
3. Metal soda can
4. Candle

Using the pliers, cut the plug off the cable.

Using the ruler, measure and cut the first wire to 20 cm using the pliers/cutter. Then use the first cut piece as a reference to cut 3 more pieces of the same length, giving you a total of 4 equal pieces of 20 cm each.

Using the cutter, carefully score and peel off the white outer insulation from each of the 4 pieces, revealing the smaller inner wires inside.

Each small wire inside has its own colored insulation. Using the cutter, carefully remove the insulation from each small inner wire until the bare copper wires are fully exposed.

Gently fold each thin copper wire in half from the middle, being careful not to break or snap it.

Wrap only half of the copper wire tightly around the thin stick to create a spring-like coil. Leave the other half straight and uncoiled — it will be needed in the next steps. Each loop of the coil will represent one petal of the flower. The thinner the stick, the better — as it will give you more loops and therefore more petals per flower.

Gently press and flatten the spring/coil using your fingers or the pliers until it becomes flat and 2D — like a flat spiral instead of a 3D spring shape. Be careful not to break the wire while flattening.

Take the flat coiled petals and gently wrap and curl them around each other, starting from the center and working outward, to form the shape of a rose. Use your fingers to carefully bend and arrange each petal until you get a natural rose-like shape

Repeat steps 5 to 8 with all the remaining copper wires until every single wire is used up, making as many roses as possible.

Gather the roses together in groups, twisting their straight wire ends together to form branches. Make the following groups:

1. 1 branch with 3 roses
2. 1 branch with 4 roses
3. 1 branch with 10 roses

Each group will represent one branch of the tree.

Take all the branches and bend them around each other randomly and freely to create a natural tree shape, while keeping the bottom ends straight and unbent — this will serve as the trunk and base of the tree.

Gently open and spread the petals apart from each other, adjusting and shaping each branch and rose until you achieve the tree shape you desire. Take your time arranging everything until you are satisfied with the final look.

Cut the metal soda can in half from the middle. Make sure the can is clean and dry before use — this will serve as the base of the tree.

Break the candle into small pieces and place them inside the can (mold).

Place the can over a low heat source to melt the wax pieces.

⚠️ Caution: From this step onwards, always handle the can using the pliers — never with bare hands. Keep the heat low at all times, as high heat is dangerous and may cause the wax to catch fire.

Once the wax is melted, carefully remove the wick (the thread inside the candle) from the liquid wax using the pliers.

Carefully place the copper tree into the melted wax, making sure it stands straight and stable. Leave it to cool and solidify completely at room temperature — do not rush the process by using a fridge or fan. Give it enough time to harden naturally for the best results.

Once the wax is fully solidified, carefully cut the metal can mold and gently peel it away from the wax block, taking care not to damage or crack the wax piece.

Your copper rose tree is now complete 🌹