How to Reuse Pop Cans for a Project

Use red soda cans for their bright color.

Soda cans come in a wide variety of bright colors, and the sturdy, yet pliable aluminum makes excellent building material for a crafts project. When you want to work with aluminum soda cans for craft projects, you will need to clean them and flatten them so that they present a flat layer of aluminum to work with. When working with aluminum cans to make a crafts project, be careful because the edges are very sharp.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum soda cans
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• Tin snips

Instructions

1. Fill the aluminum can halfway with warm water.

2. Add two to three drops of liquid dishwashing detergent.

3. Swish the soapy liquid in the can to remove all traces of the sugary soda.

4. Rinse the can until the water runs clear.

5. Cut the top and bottom from the can using the tin snips. You can push the sharp tips into the side of the can and simply start cutting around.

6. Cut along the seam of the can, turning it from a cylinder with open ends into a rectangular sheet.

7. Flatten the curved sheet by spreading it out flat on a hard surface. At this point, you can cut shapes out of the aluminum sheet and use them as decorative objects.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut star and moon shapes out of the aluminum to hang up in mobiles, or as window decorations.

References

• Curbly: How to Turn Soda Cans Into Stars

Resources

• Artists Helping Children: Soda Can Crafts For Kids