Instructions for Crafting With Tin Cans
When crafting with children, gather supplies from around the house to avoid going out and buying them. Tin cans are versatile crafting supplies because they are sturdy, smooth and you can cut them. Whenever you use a tin can, wash it out and dry it. Then toss it in a craft bin with other household items that are useful for crafting to keep a stash of free craft supplies that you can use when a rainy day comes along.
Things You'll Need
- Tin cans
- Soap
- Hammer
- Nails or awl
- Craft paper
- Double-sided tape
- Hot glue gun
- Popsicle
- Paint primer
- tempera paints or craft paints
- Potting soil
- Candles
Instructions
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1
Cover a tin can with decorative paper to make a pencil holder. Cut a piece of paper the circumference of the tin can. Wrap it around the can and secure it with double-sided tape. Alternatively, you can use hot glue to adhere Popsicle sticks vertically, like fence slats, around a tin can for a wooden-looking pencil holder.
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2
Make stilts out of tin coffee cans by poking two holes through opposite sides of the cans with an awl and hammer. Thread rope through the holes and tie knots in the ropes to make two big loops that a child could hold onto while walking on the stilts.
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3
Make a tin can totem pole featuring people in your family. Paint tin cans with primer. Then use tempera paints or craft paints to paint a face on each can. Once the paint has dried, stack the cans and secure them with generous dabs of hot glue between the cans.
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4
Turn your tin cans into luminaries. Fill the tin cans with water and place them in the freezer until the water turns to ice. Draw designs on the outside of the cans. Use a hammer and nail or awl to poke holes through the cans. Allow the ice to melt. Dry out the tin cans and then put candles inside and watch the lights glow through the holes.
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5
Make flower pots. Poke holes through the bottom of the tin cans. Spray a light coat of primer onto the cans. Then, spray with a final coat of semi-gloss spray paint. Add designs with craft paint, if desired. Fill the tin cans with potting soil and plant flower seeds.
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Tips & Warnings
If your tin cans have jagged edges at the top, sand them with a metal file so you don't cut yourself.
When making holes in cans, like for luminaries, ice prevents the can from collapsing while you hammer away at it.
References
- Photo Credit tin image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
