Folk Art Amigo Sign

Step 14

14. Cut two large can lids in half for a total of four halves. With pliers bend the cut edge in 3 cm along the length of the can lids. Place each half circle of tin at the outer center of each board (4 center sections). With the ledge facing inward toward the back of the sign, nail the ledge flush with the wood panel edges.

Step 15

15. Cut four 1-1/2-foot wide strips of wire. Bend the wire from its center point into an S-shape with pliers, bend and sculpt the wire into swirling accents. Nail one wire at the S-shape holes into the board at the center back side of each tin half circle.

Step 16

16. Decorate the half-circle tin on the bottom of the frame with hanging tin tassels.

• Puncture five nail holes into the tin lid starting at the center's edge.
• Cut five 1-inch wire strips and bend them into S-shapes, leaving the ends open.
• Cut five tin tassels out of tin sheeting. The tassels may be teardrop- pear- or chandelier-shaped.
• Puncture a nail hole into the thinner part of the tassels and pinch the hook closed with pliers.
• Slip the other end of the S hook into the half circle tin lid. Pinch it closed.

Steps 17-18

17. Center and separate five cupboard hooks for hanging the bottles and the heart. Screw the hooks into the bottom edge of the top wood board. Cut a 4" x 4" tin heart out of tin metal sheeting. Nail a hole in the center of the heart. Cut 25 1-inch wire strips. Bend all into S-shapes. Connect five at a time into five link chains. Set aside.

18. Cut four 1-1/2-foot wire strips to wrap the mini-bottles. With pliers pinch the end into a spiral circle to hang at the end of the chain link. Wrap the wire around the body of the bottle three or four times making smaller circles under the bottle to secure it. Leave 1-inch of wire at the end. Cut the excess wire. Bend in the tip. Hang the bottles and heart from the chain links of your folk art amigo sign.

Folk Art Amigo Sign by Kenny Chavez from Albuquerque, N.M.

Kenny Chavez was born in Southern California, but raised by his mother in New Mexico. He considers himself both a New Mexican and an artist at heart. Having worked in the field of art for some time collecting and selling other peoples' work, he eventually got the itch to begin creating his own pieces. He combined his Mexican heritage along with his passion for recycling and the results were his Folk Art Retablos or signs.

Website: www.kennychavez.com