Coffee Can Canisters

Create decorative and functional storage by using empty coffee tins with handmade covers.

Empty coffee cans can easily be recycled into decorative and handy storage!

All About

Product Ideas

Here's the kind of a project that is especially great to do with kids. It's easy, functional and recycles items that you would otherwise throw away. Our canisters were made from coffee cans, but any standard tin can will do. Coffee cans are perfect for a kitchen set because you can use the one-, three- or five-pound size. The size can that you use is determined by what you need to store. Because of their size and versatility, these containers make great storage for kid's craft materials or small toys, plus kids love that they can decorate the can's exterior however they wish.

Materials:

tin cans in desired sizes
heavy colored art paper long enough to go around container
iron-on vinyl (either matte or gloss finish)
rubber stamps, stickers or stencils
wooden ball with flat bottom
1/2-inch industrial-strength double-sided tape

Steps:

1. Remove paper label from tin can and use it as a pattern for the paper strip you cut to wrap around container. Be certain that piece you cut comes about 1/4 inch below the top of the can so the plastic lid can fit on without catching it. Cut paper so it's long enough to go around can with 1/4-inch overlap.

2. Decorate paper as desired. For our set I used a Hot Potatoes flower stamp for the "Flour," a coffee cup for the "Coffee" canister, a Japanese Kimono stamp for the "Tea" and a Museum of Modern Rubber stamp with many, many tiny squares pattern for the "Sugar".

The letters spelling out the words were typed in using a large font on the computer and printed out on adhesive-backed paper. They can go across the top of the canister or be placed vertically.

When stamping the designs, it is a good idea to first do as Grace Taormina has taught us, and stamp out the individual images on scrap paper then cut them out and place them where desired on the paper to be used. When you have everything in desired position, remove the cut out image and stamp in that spot. When using the solid images of the Hot Potatoes stamps, acrylic paint applied with a foam brush is usually preferred to using a stamp pad. When positioning images and letters keep in mind the overlap at the back of the container.

Figure E: attaching the vinyl. You could also use a spray-on polyurethane.

3. When everything has been stamped, stenciled or stuck into desired position, cover with a piece of the iron-on vinyl cut to the exact size of the paper. Follow the manufacturer's directions for ironing on the vinyl, applying a small area at a time. No steam! A credit card works well for pressing out any air bubbles that you might get along the way.

4. Apply a narrow strip of double-sided tape down each short end of the paper on the underneath side. Press the one short end to the back of the can, smoothly wrap the paper around the can and press the other end into position.

5. Paint the wooden ball the desired color. Poke a hole in the center of the plastic lid, screw on the ball through the hole and you are done! Complete remaining cans in the same way.