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Old Coffee Cans


 
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#1 carol4

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 04:14 AM

I am big on recycling items that can be turned into something useful and beautiful.  I paint old coffee cans and decorate them with beads and ribbons.  The cans make great containers for brushes, swatches of fabric and small tubes of paint. These cans also can be used as indoor planters and make wonderful gifts.

#2 Shortpoet-GTD

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 04:44 AM

My Dad was a "jack of all trades" and he used to keep screws, nuts, nails-etc. in baby food jars.
He nailed the lid to the bottom of a shelf, and when you needed something, you just unscrewed
the jar.
You could easily see what was inside each too.
Re-purposing items is a great way to keep junk out of the landfill.
Good job Caro

#3 zararina

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 07:46 PM

Reusing things are always good for everyone. ;)
I am not that artistic and so hardly keep coffee cups and decorate them. I could just reuse jars of spreads for some of my small collections and also as jar for some spices. And for plastic cups, will just keep it and will sell it to the junk shop later on when I had kept a lot of it already.

#4 Jabsfreelanceworld

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 09:34 PM

That's awesome! One time I made my own decorative sheets and used glitter to decorate the holly leafs I had drawn on them. Then, I used it to cover not coffee cans but large vegetable juice cans. I made sure that the recipients of my gift baskets would not get cut too. :)

#5 mariaandrea

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Posted 09 November 2011 - 11:01 PM

I used to do similar things with coffee cans years ago. I get my coffee beans in bulk now and nothing else I buy comes in cans that size. I do reuse tuna fish cans in the same way as candle holders for votive size candles and I still have a couple of pen and pencil holder cups made from fruit and vegetable cans. Come to think of it, I should convert some more cans as I haven't done that lately. Thanks for the reminder!

#6 carol4

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 05:03 AM

Cans are great in general for recycling. I made an herb gardent with smaller cans and have them sitting in my kitchen.  It is a lot of fun to paint and decorate these cans.  And why not paint up a batch and use for holiday gifts? Since I have many craft projects going, I find these cans suitable for different items. Since I am decorating some of my rooms the cans add a colorful touch and conversation piece.

#7 Germs

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Posted 10 November 2011 - 02:03 PM

Sounds like a cool and creative idea to deal with old useless cans, will have to give this a try myself sometime.

#8 Mon-Jes

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Posted 16 November 2011 - 11:15 PM

If the cans are from recent use (don't try this with old, dirty cans), clean them out and use them for coffee-can ice cream:

http://pbskids.org/z...deicecream.html

#9 karmaman

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Posted 20 November 2011 - 09:33 PM

If you like candles, try pouring some melt and pour wax into a small tin can like those used for sardines, tuna fish or small portions of tomato paste. It keeps the wax from spilling and helps put the candle out if it tips over.

For gardening enthusists, coffee cans make a perfect homemade upside down planter. Instead of buying the expensive kits for growing tomatoes inverted, drill a hole in the bottom of the coffee can. Put down a layer of newspaper and fill it with soil. The newspaper prevents the soil from falling out. Your seedlings are planted in the hole, upside down, which helps them grow.

#10 Mon-Jes

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Posted 21 November 2011 - 12:49 AM

I'm trying to picture the seeds growing upside down but can't. So you drill a hole in the bottom and fill the can with soil, with newspaper over the hole you drilled, or over the main opening? Won't the seeds grow "up" anyway and not down, no matter which way the can end is placed?

#11 SheforACT

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Posted 21 December 2016 - 10:37 PM

Coffee cans serve many more purposes than just for coffee!  They can be used to store craft supplies, silverware, napkins, toiletries, washcloths, kitchen utensils, and paint bottles to name a few.

#12 eds

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Posted 22 December 2016 - 06:55 AM

Tin can Stilts

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#13 Shortpoet-GTD

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Posted 22 December 2016 - 06:28 PM

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