Turn the bottom of an aluminum coffee can into a bowl

The bottom of a tin coffee can can make an interesting bowl that can then be painted and finished as-is or soldered to a small length of pipe and a smaller can bottom as a base for a tall fruit bowl.

The first thing you need to do is remove the bottom from the rest of the can, with the rim in place. To do this you can either use a can opener that cuts into the side of the can rather than the top, or, if you don't have one of those , use tin snips to cut down the side of the can, curving your cut at an angle near the bottom of the can so you can gracefully start cutting as near the rim as possible when you get there.

When the rest of the can is no longer attached, use a file or grinding stone to get rid of all sharp edges. It is easiest to do this if you carefully clamp down the piece you're working on. Place a small block of wood between the top of the clamp and your aluminum so you don't damage it.

Next, you'll need to have a working surface with a in indented circle (about 3 inches wide and 3/16th of an inch deep is good enough). I use a large log that I've hammered and scraped a smooth depression into.

Using the ball end of a ball peen hammer, very, very gently tap the aluminum circle, starting in the center and moving in a straight line till you reach the rim. Use overlapping blows . Go back to the center and hammer beside your last line... keep going around and around in this way until you've made your bowl the desired depth.

Now, you've got a bowl, but it's pretty bumpy. You can even it out considerably (though I've never managed to smooth it out completely) by hammering in a similar way on a flat part of your log or work surface. 

Again, it's super important to hammer gently, or you'll bust a hole in your material.

When your bowl is done, you can use an enamel paint to make it unique, or solder other pieces of aluminum can or pipe to it to make something entirely different.