The Christmas Tin Can Makeover

Do you have any of those Christmas tin cans (that came holding a snack) that you don’t know what to do with?  I have a really cheap makeover that you can do with them to use for a gift for THIS christmas.

This beautiful tin can cost me only a dollar to make.  Granted, I had all the paint, metal, sandpaper, and jeweled embellishment already on hand.  I did not have the can though!  While thrifting with my family over the weekend, I found one for a dollar.  It was big and tacky, and there was a whole shelf of them to choose from.

I was inspired for this design from these beautiful tin cans at Hobby Lobby.  You know I love that store and am constantly browsing and shopping there. I think I went three times this week. NO joke.

Although these cans are beautiful, they had a pretty price tag of $19.99 each.  I didn’t want to pay that, so I came up with my own.  Let me show you how I did it.

First, I spray painted my tin with two really good coats of a soft lavender color.  While my paint was drying, I went on the hunt for some scrap metal.

My brother had this scrap piece and let me cut a few inches off the bottom of it.  I used some sharp gardening scissors to cut the metal. You could try using scraps from an aluminum can. Home Depot also sells rolls of “flashing” that is used in roofing projects.

I took my little piece of metal and cut tons of petals out of it in all different sizes.  I just eye-balled each petal, so each one is slightly different.  I love that.

I chose four fun colors of acrylic paints I had, and I used them to pain the petals.  I cut the petals in about four different sizes, so I painted each size a different color.  I was ok if they were not  covered perfectly because I was going to lightly sand them to make them more rustic anyways.

Once the petals were dry, I lightly sanded them, bent the ends up, and then I started glueing them together.  I used my handy hot glue gun and glued four separate flowers (each color counted as one flower).  Once those flowers were dry I glued and stacked them together.  I finally glued a little jewel embellishment in the center and it was done!  I lightly sanded my tin.  Tip: Don’t sand the can too much or you will see that Christmas picture below it!

I love how it came out.  I created a different flower from the ones that are on top of the Hobby Lobby cans, but that is the beauty of being “inspired” and not totally copying.

I think I am going to put it in my little girl’s room on her dresser.  It would be cute to hold all her headbands, but she already has something for that.  Maybe I will keep her socks in it, or all her lotions.  Either way it is probably best that it is kept up on top of her dresser, since it is not the most child safe project I have come up with.  🙂  Beware of the sharp ends!

The process of this Christmas can makeover was so quick!  If you have some of the needed materials on hand, this could be such a cheap gift to make for a family member or friend.  I think the can alone would be cute to give, but you could also use it to wrap a present that you place inside.

Have you ever reused one of these Christmas cans?  I think I might have to actually keep the next one I receive, so I can reuse it again!

*I linked this project up at Miss Information, The C.R.A.F.T. Blog,  Crafts Aholics Anonymous, and Home Stories A to Z.