Pretty up a boring coffee can, make
a decorative change bank, or make something fun for the kids to store small
cars, toys, and tiny board books in. It's easy! These step by step instructions
will have you camouflaging those coffee cans in no time!
Decorative Kitchen Container
For the first project, a decorative kitchen container that actually holds
coffee without the ugly label, you will need the following items:
large coffee can
sandpaper
white acrylic paint
household sponge
green acrylic paint
Assorted buttons in different colors and sizes
gingham twisted paper, cut into small squares
flowers and insects cut from magazines
raffia
white craft glue
water
large craft paint brush
small craft paint brush
hot glue
Wash and dry coffee can and sand off any sharp edges from the can's opening.
Begin by sponging one layer of white paint onto the entire outside of the
can. Let it dry. Sponge on a second coat and allow that to dry as well. Using
the small craft paint brush, paint the lines around the coffee can. These
do not need to be perfect, rough edges add character to the can! Gently sponge
some green lightly around the bottom section of the can over the white
coat.
Mix 4 tablespoons of white craft glue with enough water to bring it to painting
consistency. Begin applying insect and flowers cut outs and squares of gingham
twisted paper to the can. To do this, use the large crafting brush. Paint
the glue mixture onto the can in the areas you wish to apply the pictures,
press the picture on gently, then brush more of the mixture over the top.
Repeat this step for all of the pictures you wish to decoupage on. Glue will
most likely leave a white film over your pictures. Don't panic! The glue
will dry and you will not be able to see it.
When finished, paint the entire can with a coat of the glue mixture. Allow
it to dry completely. Apply a second coat of glue mixture, only this time,
press buttons onto some of the gingham squares and around the bottom of the
can to form "flowers". Allow it to dry completely again.
Using a piece of raffia and a large button, thread the raffia through the
button holes so that the ends come out the front of the button. Fashion a
simple bow on the front of the button, trim edges. When can is completely
dry, hot glue the button to the top section of the can (see photo).
Using green acrylic paint, make very simple flower stems below the buttons
at the bottom of the can. To do this, simply paint short and long strokes
of paint from the bottom of the can, almost up to each button.
Variations: This craft is very adaptable. You can use any combination
of magazine pictures, photocopies, fabric scraps, or pages from books and
catalogs to decorate with. Fabric works very well and gives a marvelous primitive
look when finished.
Figure
2
Kid's Corner Can
This extremely simple project is adorable and holds all those little board
books so popular with the preschool and toddler set. Some ideas for older
children are listed below, but for this project you will need the following
supplies:
large coffee can
sandpaper
white acrylic paint
household sponge
white craft glue
water
large craft paint brush
old pillow case or sheet
Wash and dry coffee can and sand off any sharp edges from the can's opening.
Begin by sponging one layer of white paint onto the entire outside of the
can. Let it dry. Sponge on a second coat and allow that to dry as well.
Cut out picture from an old sheet, crib sheet, or worn out pillow case (in
our case a very old Dalmatian pillow case). Before applying any glue, position
your character around the can so that you can visualize how you want it to
lie on the can. Ours was quite a bit bigger than the can, so some pieces
of the body were tucked inside the top of the can (tail, top of head, and
an ear).
Mix 4 tablespoons of white craft glue with enough water to bring it to painting
consistency. Once you are ready to decoupage, begin by painting on some of
the glue mixture and gently pressing the fabric onto the can. Continue around
the can until finished, trim any edges at the bottom and tuck any edges at
the top inside the can. Apply two coats of glue mixture over the completed
fabric overlay, allow to dry between each coat.
Finished! Because you are dealing with children on this project, pay special
attention to the edges of the opening on the can. Always be sure to sand
them down completely so there is no chance of little fingers getting cut.
Using a seamless can opener can eliminate this worry all together.
More Ideas
This project is only limited by your imagination. There are so many things
that you could recycle your coffee cans into, here are a few ideas to start
with.
Toy Cars - Paint can white, cut out pictures and words that have to
do with cars, trucks, wheels, racing, etc.
Bathroom - Paint white or light color matching decor, decoupage flowers
or other soothing patterns, embellish with buttons, beads, faux pearls or
satin and lace.
Coin Bank - Paint white, decoupage Monopoly or play money onto the
can, glue on pennies or faux coins.
Dream Vacation - Paint can any color you choose, decoupage with pictures
of where you want to go on your dream vacation.
Little Girl's Jewelry - Paint a bright color, pink or fuchsia, decorate
with blue or black fun fur, faux pearls or gems.
Crayons - Paint white, decoupage pictures of cartoon or puppet characters,
or cut out pictures of crayons, markers, paints, etc., and decoupage on.
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook and make crafts. She is the craft expert for FamilyCorner.com and Kaboose.com. You can see her crafty creations on Crafts by Amanda and her delicious recipes on Amanda's Cookin'
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