Decide on a concept for the scrap sculpture. Look for ideas from your surrounding such as home, school, the local mall or park. Other places to look are in magazines and art books.
Make thumbnail sketches of the concept. Thumbnails are small drawings an artist creates to work out the composition of an idea before committing to the design. Choose the best design from the thumbnail sketches.
Consider what type of scrap to use for the sculpture. Types of scrap material for sculpture included ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper products, plastics and electronics. Ferrous metal contains iron and is magnetic where nonferrous metal such as aluminum and copper is less prone to rust.
Gather materials needed for the sculpture. Look for scrap material around the house, at garage sales, junk yards and flea markets. Another alternative is a recycling plant that gathers and sorts through scrap for a fee.
Assemble the tools needed to create the sculpture such as a welder for metal, hot glue gun for plastics and scissors for paper products. Learn how to use the tools. If you have never welded before, take a class on welding.
Determine a work area that has plenty of light. If you are working with a welder you will need a work area that is well ventilated. For paper sculpture such as paper mache, you will need a work area where you can leave the sculpture out to dry overnight.