My family loves hockey and the Chicago Blackhawks, so I decided we needed a Stanley Cup of our very own. Since I don't think any of us will be winning the real thing anytime soon, I had to come up with a way to make my own. Please allow me to introduce you to the newest member of the Zimmerman family, "Wet Stanley."

How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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You see, my husband wanted a bird bath for Father's Day, and I had been planning on making him one for months. My bird bath vision changed however after Rob, our digital guy, commented that the picture of my original plan kinda looked like the Stanley Cup. Fast forward a week to when the Blackhawks won the Cup, and boom...Wet Stanley was born!

Armed with an empty water jug I found in the studio, and a picture of the Cup, I headed to the local garden store. This is what I came up with, and I must admit, it was easier to make than I thought.

Here's the list of supplies that I used:

  • Large water jug or bucket and sand to fill it with
  • 3 small flower pots of the same size and one saucer that fits it
  • One 2-piece (separate top and bottom) plastic bird bath
  •  One tube of liquid nails
  • 2 or 3 cans of silver metallic spray paint
How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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How to make your own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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After figuring out the supplies I was going to use, this is how I laid it out. Water jug on the bottom; base of the bird bath on top of it (Not pictured: the extended middle of the bird bath base fit perfectly over the water jug nozzle...score!); 3 water pots stacked upside down on top of bird bath base; flower pot saucer, and top of the bird bath.

Hopefully these photos will make more sense than that description just did. LOL!

How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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After you've got the layout the way you want it, take your tube of Liquid Nails and glue everything together nice and tight. This may take a few applications with plenty of drying time in between to make sure it is nice and sturdy. Also, I recommend gluing things together in separate sections so the pieces are easier to move for spray painting.

How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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How to Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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You will need a couple coats of spray paint to make sure everything is covered evenly. The clear plastic water jug actually took a few more coats to make sure it matched the color of the other pieces. After everything has dried completely, attach and glue all sections together, give it one more coat of spray paint and....voila! You have a Stanley Cup bird bath!

One last note, as you can see I added a Stanley Cup Champions emblem to mine for one reason only: to cover the water jug handle.

How To Make Your Own Stanley Cup
Shannon Zimmerman, Townsquare Media
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I used white vinyl to cover the handle area and to smooth it out. On the edges I used some black Gorilla Tape for a crisper look, and to make sure it was fastened on nice on tight before I attached the emblem. Ideally, I would have loved to not have the emblem on there, but I knew seeing the handle all the time in my yard would totally get on my nerves. Plus, I don't need my neighbors to know all my crafting secrets. Lol!

Now, to answer the final question: Did my husband like it? Yes! His first words were: "I can't believe you made me a Stanley Cup, and that you are actually going to let me put it in the yard!" For you, dear, I will.

 

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