Holiday Decorating // DIY Hanging Brass Stars
THE FARMHOUSE
*this post is sponsored by Bernzomatic
We’re making a homespun kind of Christmas this year – paper stars, homemade baubles, popcorn garlands – and I asked Garrett to make me some hanging brass stars. The result was so much better than I even imagined! So today we’re sharing the step-by-step tutorial for this surprisingly-easy holiday decorating DIY. And yes, you get to use a torch!
Aren’t these brass stars fun? I’ve been on the hunt for something like this for at least five years. I don’t know where I got the idea (Pinterest?) but I never found any. So this year, with so much time at home, I finally asked Garrett to make me some. And he had these whipped up so quickly that I’m kicking myself for not asking earlier!
Let’s get started!
DIY Brass Hanging Star
Time: 30 minutes
Tools:
Vise-grip
Impact driver or Drill
Pliers
Clamp
Materials
Brass rod, 1/8” x 3’ (available at hardware stores or here on Amazon)
10 stout screws, #10
¾” Plywood, ~12” x 16”
Video
Steps
Step 1
Clamp the plywood onto a worktable or bench
Step 2
Tape the template onto the plywood
Step 3
Drive the screws into each vertex of the star. Don’t screw them all the way in. You want to leave about ~1/2” of each screw above the plywood
Step 4
Attach the brass rod to the outside of the screw at the top point of the star with ~1”extra
Step 5
Bend the rod around each screw, tracing the outline of the template. The rod is pretty easy to bend with just your hand
Step 6
Once you have returned to the top of the star, remove the brass shape from the plywood jig
Step 7
Clamp the shape vertically to your workbench so you can heat the ends with the torch safely.
Step 8
Once the rod is heated and pliable, use pliers to bend a curved hook on the long side and then make a smaller catch on the short side. The metal will be hot so only use the pliers to touch the metal and wear gloves
Step 9
If needed twist the hook to allow the catch to seat securely (watch the video for more clarification)
Step 10
Once the metal has cooled down, you can adjust the star’s shape with your hands to get it to your liking.
Step 11
Use greenery (attached with floral wire), ribbon, and twine to ornament and hang your brass stars
That’s it! Pretty easy, huh?! Tag us on Instagram if you create one of these…we’d love to see it!