Metamorphosis: Flowers

Supplies

• 5 Yellow Water Noodles with hole in center (other suggested colors: purple and orange)
• 1 Green Water Noodle
• Plastic-coated wire or clothesline (available at local hardware stores)
• Pliers
• Hacksaw or pipe cutter
• 1/2" PVC pipe-4' in length
• 1 PVC "X" connector
• 1 PVC 90° elbow
• PVC cement
• 1/2" metal conduit-4' in length
• 1 Foam ball-5" or more in diameter
• Bread knife or box cutter
• Hot glue gun with glue
• 1" PCV pipe-1' in length
• 5 gallon bucket
• Rock and sand, or cement

Instructions

1. Bend each yellow Water Noodle in half, making a "U"shape. These will become the petals of your flower. Thread plastic-coated wire through the two sides of each "U", about two to three inches from the ends.
2. Once the wire is through all five noodles, join together the two ends of the wire (twist them together with pliers), making a circle and giving the head shape to the flower.
3. Use a hacksaw or pipe cutter to cut three 1' lengths of the 1/2" PVC pipe and cement them into three of the four ends of the PVC "X" connector.
4. Cut and insert a 3" length of 1/2" PVC pipe into the fourth end of the PVC "X" connector.
5. Cut a 6" length of 1/2" PVC pipe and then cement it into one end of the PVC 90° elbow.
6. Cement the other end of the 90° elbow onto the 3" length of PVC pipe extruding from the "X" connector. When attaching the elbow, ensure that the 6" portion of pipe connected to the elbow is vertical, while the "X" connector is horizontal.
7. Insert the three 1' ends from the "X" connector into any of the holes in the ends of the five Water Noodle petals.
8. Bend the 4' length of conduit to the desired arc, resembling the stem of a flower.
9. Slip the green Water Noodle over the conduit.
10. Insert an end of the conduit into the 6" length of PVC pipe coming out from the 90° elbow from the underside of the flower head.
11. Use a bread knife or box cutter to cut the foam ball in half. Hot glue one of the halves onto the "X" connector opposite the 90° elbow. This is the center of your flower head (and a great way to cover up the PVC material!).
12. Make a base using the 5-gallon bucket. Place the 1" PVC pipe in the center of the bucket. Fill the bucket with about 5" of rock and sand or quick-dry cement. (There is no need to fill bucket to the top. Each inch of filled space in the bucket is equal to about ten pounds. Your base should be approximately 50 pounds or five inches of filled weight.) Insert the end of the conduit into the PVC pipe in the bucket.

View Drawing