How You Can Create Unique Storage Solutions – upcycling tin cans
Most of us use tin cans weekly; soups, sauces, cookies, beans and more. Did you ever think about reusing your cans instead of recycling them?
Here are some great upcycling options for cans you may have in your recycling bin right now!
Always remember, safety first when working with used tin cans. They will have sharp edges and you don’t want you or a family member to cut themselves. I used pliers to bend down sharp pieces and you can also put a bead of hot glue on the edges to protect yourself!
In this project, we used several different fun and practical materials to upcycle our tin cans. We used spray paint, cork board and scrap booking paper. Other options are newspaper (comics), paint, stickers, old toys, lace, wrapping paper, burlap, fabric, ribbon or twine. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest!
Tip: Use painters tape to create designs on your can when spray painting or painting. Make sure you press the tape into the grooves to create a nice crisp line.
Always peel the label and wash your can first. This will create a clean surface for your paint or glue to adhere to. We upcycled our cans for storage solutions and some for planters, for some seed we were growing. Cans are a great container for plants as you don’t need to worry about seepage or damage to the tin from the water. Just make sure you upcycle it with water safe materials.
I love the cork can we created! We used regular Elmers glue to adhere the cork. Now for the fun part..stick tacks in it for notes! A fun tin we created for the kitchen was upcycling our old tea tin. We spray painted it and then used a magnetic clip on the front to hold recipe cards, filled the tin with cooking utensils and now it’s the perfect accessory for the kitchen!
We used scrapbooking paper to make some of our cans more elegant! Then filled them with make-up brushes and hair products for the bathroom. You can also use cans like this for your office. I love my daughter’s creativity in creating her green spikey can with an old ball from a vending machine. It popped and we were left with a hole in it, so she put a soup can inside and made a fun container to hold her markers. – DYH
Tip: Once you glue paper or cork to a tin, use elastics to hold it in place as it dries.
