Materials and Tools

• You'll need a pipe cutter to cut individual sections of soft copper tubing and copper pipe, but the soft tubing is malleable enough to bend and shape it with your hands. Copper pipe will not bend easily, so plan to use it as part of the support for large structures. Use copper wire to attach one piece to another with drilled holes or solder copper tubing and pipes together.
  
  Soldering requires copper fittings with directional openings to join the tubing and the pipes, as well as flux and a propane torch. For example, if you are connecting two straight strips of copper tubing or copper pipe, you'll need a straight connector, or fitting, with openings on each end. A "T" connector has three openings--one on either end and one in the center--so you can join a third piece perpendicular to the first two. Copper connectors are available in the plumbing section of hardware stores.
  
  

Small Copper Lawn Ornaments

• Form an outline of an insect or an object with the soft tubing to create a simple lawn ornament. Make a jig to help form the outline of your project with 2-inch nails and a block of wood. Once you trace the outline onto the wood, insert nails every few inches along the perimeter to create the jig. Bend the copper tubing around the outside of the nails to create the outline.
  
  Drill more holes in the copper tubing and hang beads or crystals to embellish your lawn ornament. A copper tubing spiral works as a stand for the design.
  
  

Copper Arbor

• Make a copper structure for your lawn, such as an arbor, using copper pipe in addition to the copper tubing. Copper pipe works best for the sides of your arbor as it is sturdier than copper tubing. You'll need to have at least two side-by-side sections of pipe for each side of the arbor.
  
  Connect the sections with horizontal strips of copper pipe and copper plumbing connectors. Copper "T" connectors and copper cross connectors will secure the lengths of pipe together. You also can use "T" connectors to join an arch to the top of each side of the arbor. Copper tubing works for an arch because you can easily shape it into a semi-circle. Place your completed copper arbor at the entrance to your garden or enjoy it as a focal point in your backyard.