After cutting cans into 1-inch squares, the artist organizes the pieces according to color.

Someone who appreciates Helms’ talents and knack for repurposing cans is Lynn Town, co-owner of Southwest Gardener in Phoenix. It was during a class here that the artist learned how to make plant stakes from recycled cans. The shop now carries her mirrors and earrings. “She takes an ordinary product and makes it extraordinary,” says Town. Another fan of Helms’ work is Cecilia Webb, a Prescott, Arizona, resident who ordered a large custom rectangular mirror. “It turned out just fantastic,” Webb offers. “It’s really beautiful—absolutely gorgeous.”

Many others have been enchanted by the eco-chic pieces, Helms reports. “What I like best about this particular art is people’s reaction to it. They see it from a distance and they think it’s just glass, and they come up and say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a Coke can!’ They’re fascinated that this stuff that we regularly discard can be cut up and made into something beautiful.”

To contact the artist or see more of her work, visit jillhelms.com.