What are some frugal, creative and/or crafty uses for tin cans?
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Peel the labels off and smash 'em flat - 8 or so. Using an awl, punch a hole in each one. Take a larger can - coffee can or large vegetable can - fill with ice and freeze. Then in the rim of this can, punch a hole for each smashed can - space your holes equidistant along the rim. Punch another hole in the center of the can bottom. Now spray all the cans with clear rustoleum to keep them from rusting. Thread fishing line through the holes in the large can and tie knots to hold them in place. Thread the other end through the hole in the smashed can - one can per string - and knot. Finally, thread a button onto another length of fishing line and knot. Pass this thread through the hole in the middle of the can bottom, and hang. Un-canny windchimes. My kids did these and painted the large can with geometric designs. Great for mother's/father's day.
You can also cover 6 cans (same size) with wallpaper or contact paper, stack them in a pyramid (3 on bottom, then 2, then 1 on top) and glue them in place - use as a desk organizer. Make one with larger cans for a mail sorter. Can stand on the bottoms, or on the side.
You can also make a carry-along organizer with three equal-size cans (coffee or large veggie work best) and a wooden handle - cans are screwed into handle. Basically, the handle is cut from plywood, and extends deep wnough so the cans can be screwed on, three to a side, with open ends up toward the handle for carrying. Looks sort of like the carriers they have for cleaning supplies. Directions for this are on makestuff.com, or family.com. GReat for gardening stuff.
Make luminaries - an oldie, but a goodie! Fill cans with water and freeze. Use a nail and hammer, or an awl, to make holes in the cans in a pattern that you like - initials, hearts, stars, hex signs, etc. If the ice starts to melt, stop and refreeze. When the design is finished, thaw and empty water. Place a small candle inside. Voila!
Also, make buddy burners and buddy burner ovens for camping - see www.justpeace.org/buddyburner.htm for directions.
You can cover them in either fabric or paper or paint them and use them for pencil, pen holders next to the phone and computer !
You can use them to pot plants in !
You can make them into lanterns. punch holes in a pattern around the sides then put a candle inside make a wire handle and hang outside in the garden or around the patio for a lovely effect. - Sherrie from Western Australia !
Use a really large tin to make a child's drum stretch some strong fabric over the top and glue and tie very tightly ! can either decorate the tin with paint or leave silver ! if you use wet fabric when it dries it will be tighter ! - Sherrie
I had a really nice pencil holder made from a vegetable can. The relative had taken Reader's Digest pages and rolled them diagonally into tubes. They were rolled around a pencil so all the tubes were the same size. When the tubes were rolled, they were taped and cut to the height of the can. Then glued on the can.
She then took some colored laundry cord and cut short pieces, probably about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and used the cord to connect two of the tubes. It gave the pencil holder a fancy look and made the top and bottom stronger. It really was very pretty. Because the pages were rolled diagonally just the colors showed not the actual pictures.
Take the labels off, fill with water and freeze. When frozen punch hole in whatever design desired with an ice pick or tool used for punching holes. When water is emptied, dry can, fill bottom with sand, set a tealight candle into sand. Makes a nice luminary for your porch. If you have a lot of cans, use them to outline the driveway for a party. - Lisa - NPR,FL
Cut an x in the bottom of A #10 can and push the points up.Then place A pipe over the hole.Then fill with sawdust and pack tightly. You can then pull the pipe out,wad some paper up and stick it in the hole.Light it & it will burn hot for A long time.
My grandmother used to use cans (soda pop cans mostly) to make the COOLEST hats. (baseball style).
She would punch holes in the edges of cut out cans (with tin snips) and then crochet them together. very cool hats. Also an old game you play at night needs a can. Open a can leaving the lid partially attached and place a stone in it so that it rattles loudly when kicked. This game is a "hide and seek" game at night where when you run to base you "Kick the can". Kick the can is the name of the game. LOTS of fun. Gotta teach my kids that one When the game is over because someone has been found someone yells "All ye All ye in come free!!". Gotta play this one. Never too old.
Peel the labels off and wash real good in hot sudsy water. When dry, spray the inside with a vegetable coating such as Pam, fill about two-thirds full with banana nut bread batter and bake. After removing from oven, let cool in the can.
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