This metal wall hanger with a poppy flower is one of my latest small blacksmithing projects. I wanted to make something practical, that would be not only a piece of home decor but also a useful item. It took me about eight hours to make it and I am quite happy with the result.
To make the hanger I used a 5.0 mm metal plate that I roughly cut with a plasma cutting machine. The length of the plate is 35.0 cm and the width is 5.0 cm. Then I sanded the surface to remove any rust and make it shiny.
All seven nails are handmade and they have a unique shape. To make the nails I used a round 6.0 mm steel rod. To attach the nails to the prepared plate, first, I drilled seven evenly distributed 5.0 mm holes. Then I inserted the nails into the holes and welded them to the plate from the back side. After that, I polished and smoothened out the surface.
To fix the hanger to the wall, I drilled two holes on each end. The four smaller handmade nails are used to attach the hanger to the wall.
The poppy flower is made out of a thinner 1.0 mm metal sheet. First, I cut out a circle and drew six petals. Then I cut them out and gave more texture to each petal. The effect turned out very subtle: the thin lines on the surface reminds me of a real flower. Then I started to shape each petal using heat and a ball-peen hammer. The middle of the flower, that resembles the head of a nail, I made separately and welded to the hanger.
To attach the poppy flower to the hanger I used a 2.0 mm steel wire. One end of the wire I welded to the back of the hanger plate and the other end I curled to give it an interesting and light look. As the last step, I decided to paint the whole hanger with a clear coat to prevent rusting.
