35 Small Welding Projects From Scrap

Photo of author
Last updated:

Getting your hands on scrap metal is easy. Most people already have some to begin with, so it makes sense to turn that scrap into something beautiful and useful.

Small scrap welding projects require only the basic metalworking skills which you can learn as you go.

In this article, you’ll find many unique scrap metal welding ideas that are easy to make.

Use the table of contents below to quick jump to projects.

35 Small Welding Projects From Scrap

1. Dragon From Scrap Chain

Dragons are cool and, believe it or not, easy to weld, especially from scrap motorcycle chains. Arranging a chain in the shape followed by a few tack welds is all it takes. It’s best to do it by TIG welding because the tacks will be cleaner and easier to grind. You can gift this beautiful sculpture to someone or keep it on a shelf for decoration.

See the Project Here


2. Stool From Old Nuts

stool from old nuts scrap project

Every welder or a DIY hobbyist has that drawer full of old nuts. You know how every time you keep them “just in case?” Well, here is a good use for the various nuts lying around. The more they vary in diameter, the more beautiful the stool will look. This welding project takes a little bit of patience but requires no special welding skills.

See the Project Here


3. Scrap Metal Bell

scrap metal bell

This is an excellent welding project idea if you have an old pipe or some scrap from a fire extinguisher. You can make a separate striker according to the guide or thinker around and position it in the center, as with the real bells.

See the Project Here


4. Infinity Cube From Old Bicycle Chain

Infinity cube is guaranteed to draw looks from your friends and family. It’s beautiful, clean, and leaves everyone in awe. Thankfully, it takes just basic TIG welding skills. You can also make it with a motorcycle chain, but it needs to be bigger.

See the Project Here


5. Scrap Metal Artistic Lamp

Table lamps are usually a neglected interior decor. This scrap metal build involves many different elements like nuts, forks, spark plugs, bolts, and others. But this is what makes it so beautiful. You should try to recreate it and give it your personal touch with the scrap lying around.

See the Project Here


6. Formula One Car From Discarded Metal

You can make a formula with functional wheels using a couple of old wheel bearings, spoons, and sheet metal. This is a beautiful welding project you can do with a MIG welder and an angle grinder. You can quickly sell it thanks to its appearance or keep it as a decorative piece.

See the Project Here


7. Jewelry Tree

metal jewelry tree plans

This is an excellent welding project idea for beginners, especially if you have never used a plasma cutter before. All it takes is a scrap piece of sheet metal and your imagination. Make the tree however you like and hang the jewelry on it.

See the Project Here


8. Beer Bottle Opener from Scrap Metal

This easy welding project takes some ingenuity to think of but not to recreate. It takes TIG welding steel nuts into the construction shape, a rod for a lever, a piece of bicycle chain, and its chain wheel.

See the Project Here


9. R2D2 Starwars Sculpture

While this project looks phenomenal, don’t let it intimidate you. It’s easy to make as long as you have the necessary scrap metal. Since it looks so cool, you can sell it for good money or gift it to your geeky friends.

See the Project Here


10. Anvil From Scrap

scrap anvil welding project

Every welder or metalworker in general needs an anvil. But if you have some thick metal pieces lying around, or you find them on the scrapyard, you can make an anvil yourself.

See the Project Here


11. Weld a Table Lamp From Steel Nuts

Creating this lamp requires little welding skill. It’s beautiful, eye-catching, and will amaze anyone who sees it. It’s a small welding project, but it does take patience to weld all of the nuts together. It requires essential welding equipment and basic metal you can find in the scrap yard.

See the Project Here


12. Useful Tool For Welding

This little tool made from scrap metal can help you hold things together before making a tack weld. Sometimes it’s challenging to clamp two pieces together, and this DIY tool helps by applying concentric force from above, allowing you to “clamp” together things like pipe and a flat metal piece.

See the Project Here


13. Small Metal Rose

small metal rose scrap project

You can make a rose from stainless steel or mild steel scrap metal. Stainless requires more welding skills. This is a beautiful gift to give to your significant other; you can even make a bouquet that will never dry out, unlike real roses.

See the Project Here


14. Metal Skull Mask From Scrap

Making a mask like this requires a bit more experience. Keeping the face elements proportional is not easy for beginners, so you should make some easier stuff first. Still, cool welding projects like these are fantastic gifts and can be sold for good money.

See the Project Here


15. Flower From Old Nails or Screws

flower made of scrap nails

This is a perfect small welding project if you are a novice welder. It looks nice, especially if you do another layer of nails on top of the first one. Projects like these are suitable for practicing welding and making thoughtful gifts.

See the Project Here


16. Suspension Stools From Scrap Steel

suspension stools from scrap steel

Welding suspension stools from scrap metal can turn into a lucrative opportunity, especially if you live in an area with lots of modern bars. Metal interior furniture is popular, and you can use various finishing methods to suit any interior design needs.

See the Project Here


18. Eagle Sculpture

Working on animal-inspired designs like these requires basic research on the animal’s anatomy. After you get the idea for the shape and contour, you can start welding. Such advanced scrap welding projects are a testament to the welder’s craftsmanship and are costly as art pieces.

See the Project Here


19. Coat Rack Using Old Horseshoes

This small welding project is for people with extra horseshoes, but you can also get them from the scrapyard. Upon painting, this coat rack can look good in the interior, and your guests will surely comment on it when hanging their jackets.

See the Project Here


20. Simple Bird From Scrap Utensils

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Emil Bråten-Metal art & craft (@nordic_metal_creations)

That eagle sculpture before needed a lot of welding skill, but a simple project like this requires only an oxy-acetylene setup. After tack welding, the utensils together, heating them, and shaping a bird is all it takes.

See the Project Here


21. Hay Hook

With just one weld and some oxy setup heating process, you can make a useful hand hook for hay or pallets dragging. Since the weld strength is not very important here, you can even repurpose dissimilar metal rods.

See the Project Here


22. Scrap Metal Bonsai Tree

Bonsai trees are beautiful but having one from bare metal is a next-level interior detail. You can make a giant one like in the video or repeat the same process with smaller scrap metal. Either way, you can sell it for a lot of money or keep it in your home.

See the Project Here


23. Christmas Tree Ornaments

welded nail christmas tree ornament

This is a great project to do with your family. While the Instructables show how to make one ornament, you can modify the process and build various ornaments for original tree decoration.

See the Project Here


24. Old Compressor into a Smoker

If you find a compressor on a junkyard and you need a smoker, you can repurpose it with some welding. It doesn’t take a lot of welding skills, but it does take time to put everything together. Metal sheets, tubes, and steel tubing are also needed to create parts of the smoker.

See the Project Here


25. Crab Model

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by SHOODRIK Sculpteur – Metal Art (@shoodrik_atelier)

This is a simple scrap metal art you can make with any welding process and some hammering of the scrap metal. It’s best to find old pliers since they already resemble the crab’s claws.

See the Project Here


26. Repurpose Old Washers into a Bowl

Making a washer bowl can be done with any welding machine, but it’s best to use a TIG welder. You will need to use a “base” bowl underneath the washers as you weld them together. Be careful not to weld washers to the base. It’s best to use a ceramic bowl for the base if it’s heat resistant.

See the Project Here


27. Corner Clamping Tool From Old Brake Pads

This is an awesome way to repurpose old brake pads with a bit of arc welding. You will also need one mild steel sheet metal and some steel tubing. This DIY tool keeps pieces you want to weld locked at a 90-degree angle, but it can also bend metal, so it’s a multi-purpose tool you can make from scrap.

See the Project Here


28. Scrap Metal Motorcycle Model

small scrap metal motorcycle

A motorcycle has a simple shape, but it’s challenging to arrange all pieces without messing up the overall structure. This makes it a great small welding project for beginners who wish to try scrap welding art but have mastered the simple stuff like welding nails, nuts, and bolts.

See the Project Here


29. Wind Sculpture

Kinetic sculptures are profitable welding projects you can make from scrap. It takes only a couple of tack welds per hand on the sculpture. It’s straightforward yet effective because it looks very dynamic thanks to the varying angles and lengths of the composing elements when it starts spinning on the wind.

See the Project Here


30. Small Model Hot Rod

This welding project requires advanced engagement. While necessary welding skills are basic, you need to find many appropriate scrap metal parts. However, the beauty of welding scrap metal is in project adaptability, so you can weld it with what you have and still make a great-looking hot rod. Just make sure you plan the entire process.

See the Project Here


31. Rocket Stove

Rocket stoves are fantastic for outdoor camping. They output a significant amount of concentrated heat and will have you cooking in a flash. If you have some scrap metal tubing and a MIG welder, you can make a rocket stove and save some money.

See the Project Here


32. Key Holder

This is one of the most straightforward small welding projects from scrap you can make. All it takes is two different diameters of rebar, some metal clean-up, and a couple of welds. If you clean the rebar down to shiny steel, it will look very attractive on your wall.

See the Project Here


33. Octopus Lamp From Scrap Bicycle Chain

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Oskar (@oskarsof)

Like how you can weld the bicycle chain dragon we saw at the beginning of this article, you can create this octopus lamp. It’s a great way to practice welding the slippery stuff like chains while making something beautiful.

See the Project Here


34. Dustpan From Scrap

Having a metal dustpan guarantees that it’ll outlive any plastic dustpan you can get from the dollar store. Plus, you get to have some fun welding and grinding the scrap metal. It’s a great small welding project you can do with any old sheet metal and some bolts.

See the Project Here


35. Recycle Spark Plugs into Miniature Airplanes

Old spark plugs are an excellent base for miniature airplane models. You can sell these, gift them, or give them to your kids to play. This is a great welding project idea requiring little to no welding skill, and you are guaranteed to have the necessary scrap metal.

See the Project Here


 

Wrapping Up

Welding is an excellent hobby. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. Project after project, you’ll be improving your skills and if selling your creations, improving your income.

Small welding projects from scrap are a great way to learn how to weld or create something for the people in your life. Everyone loves getting a unique, handmade gift, and what’s a longer-lasting gift than the one made from literal steel?

Other Welding Projects

30 Horseshoe Welding Project Ideas

40 Rebar Welding Projects for Your Home

20 Easy Welding Projects For Beginners

15 Homemade DIY Welding Tables – Free & Paid Plans


Want to learn more about welding for free?

Sign up and join 10,000+ other learners and get free welding articles and tips sent straight to your inbox.

What's Your Favourite Arc Welding Process?