Shoebox: Tin Can People, Dryer Vent Pumpkin

Materials

large (5 lb.) coffee can - body
4 vegetable cans - 2 arms, 2 legs
4 soup cans - 2 arms, 2 legs
2 sardine cans - feet
sturdy wire coat hangers
awl and hammer or drill
pumpkin bucket or 24 oz. fruit juice can
screws and lug nuts
screw eye/nut and bolt
wire cutters
paper

Note: The Halloween man also had a large plastic pumpkin bucket with a handle that served as his head. The Hawaiian lady had a 24 oz. fruit juice can for a head.

Steps:

1. First, the coffee can and all four vegetable cans will need to have four holes punched in them.

2. With an awl and hammer or a drill, make a hole at each mark. It should be large enough for the coat hanger wire to go through.

3. Drill or pound a hole in the center of the bottom of the pumpkin head or the 24 oz. fruit juice can (figure D).

4. Drill or pound a hole in the center of the bottom of the large coffee can (figure D again).

5. Insert a screw eye thru the hole in the pumpkin head or the bottom of the juice can and secure with a bolt.

6. Cut the coat hanger and save the bottom length of the wire as your connecting piece. Bend one end up about 1 inch. The other end should be straight (figure E).

7. Insert the straight end of the hanger through the two holes in the bottom of one of the vegetable cans; push it through the can and out the hole in the other side (figure F). Continue to lace it through the two holes in the bottom of the coffee can and out the other side into the two bottom holes in another vegetable can (figure G). About 1 inch out, cut off any excess wire and bend up to hold. As you have no doubt noticed, you are working with the tin cans so they are upside down, so that the bottom holes I refer to are really at the top.

8. Cut about 7 inches of the wire, and insert one end through one of the hanging vegetable cans. Insert a soup can and push wire through one of the holes at the bottom of the soup can, out the hole at the other side, and out the hole in the vegetable can. This will connect the two cans (figure H). Again, cut any excess wire to about 1 inch and turn up to hold. Repeat on the other arm.

9. Cut a length of wire long enough to go through the coffee can and two vegetable cans with about 2 inches to spare.

10. Insert one of the vegetable cans upside down in the bottom of the coffee can. From the outside, insert the wire through the coffee can and through the bottom hole in the vegetable can. Insert the second vegetable can and continue to push the wire through the holes in this can, through the other side of the coffee can and out (figure I). Again, allow 1 inch excess wire; then bend up to hold.

11. Drill or pound a hold in the center of the bottom of a sardine can. Drill or pound a hole in the center bottom of one of the remaining soup cans. Line up the two holes and insert a small screw. Secure with a lug nut to attach the two cans to each other (figure J). Repeat with the remaining soup can and sardine can.

12. Insert the bottoms of the soup cans into the vegetable cans that are attached to the coffee can in the same manner that you attached the arm joints. That is, insert a length of wire through the vegetable can and soup can and secure (figure K). Repeat for second leg.

13. Insert a hanging cord through the eye screw in the head and hang up outside. P.S. A piece of cardboard cut to size can be inserted into the bottom of the sardine cans or glued to the bottom of the cans to neaten him up.