Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

Have you noticed that a lot of holiday candy comes in metal tins?   Yummy things like Peppermint Bark, cocoa and mixed nuts.  Once the holidays are over and you’ve eaten the delicious treats out of the tins, don’t throw them away – recycle them into something wonderful! 

I had a bunch of fabric scraps sitting around, as well as some ribbon and (of course) Mod Podge.  Add the recycled tins with a little paint (also from my stash) and I didn’t pay anything for these refreshed containers.  I now have some cute storage for my craft room, or I can use these for gifting if I want to.  Try it.  These are a blast to make!

First you’ll need to gather these supplies:

Recycled Metal Tins – any sizes, types

FolkArt Acrylic Paint, Wicker White

Mod Podge Fabric, 8 oz.

Fabric scraps – large enough to cover the tins.  If you don’t have scraps large enough, fat quarters work very well for this, and you can get them inexpensively at your local fabric store

Ribbon – coordinating and large enough to go around the lids of your tins

Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive

Flat Paint Brush

Craft Knife and Mat – you can also use a fabric cutter if you have one

Ruler

Here are the tins I started with.  I got so excited about this project that I started painting the left one before I took a photo – then I remembered.  Whoops.

If you have a pattern on your tin, I suggest you paint the tin white.  If you don’t, the pattern will show through the fabric after you Mod Podge it on, and you’ll be sad.  Paint the lid too.  I technically didn’t have to paint the smallest tin shown because it didn’t have a pattern, but I was painting the other tins and so I went ahead and did the small one.  The white makes the fabric colors pop.  Allow the tins to dry completely. 

While you are waiting for the tins to dry, prepare your fabric with Mod Podge.  Wash and dry the fabric and then iron it flat.  Place wax paper down on your work surface (or something like it so the Mod Podge doesn’t seep through).  Paint a medium coat of Mod Podge on the top of the fabric and allow to dry.  This step will allow you to cut the fabric easily without fraying.

Measure your tins and then cut the fabric accordingly.  It’s easiest to do it with a fabric cutter, but if you don’t have that, a craft knife will work too.  If all else fails, use scissors! 

Tip: Some of your lids might slide down tightly onto their tins.  If this is the case, leave that much room for the lid to slide on, meaning, cut your fabric just below the lid.

Apply a medium coat of Mod Podge to the tin and roll the fabric around the center, smoothing as you go.  Smooth, smooth, smooth!  Keep smoothing with your hands until all of the air bubbles are gone.  Add more Mod Podge to the seam where the fabric meets to close.  Allow to dry for 15 – 20 minutes.

Coat the outside of all of the tins with a medium coat of Mod Podge.  Allow to dry.

The lids are a trickier proposition than the tins themselves, but still not that hard.  Here’s how I did it.  I Mod Podged the lid to the fabric and allowed to dry.  I cut a circle around the lid giving enough fabric excess to fold over the edges – I then cut the edges toward the lid about every 1/2″ (see the picture).  I Mod Podged, folded over, trimmed, and did it again.  I overlapped pieces until the whole lid was covered.  You are going to cover these lids with ribbon anyway, so do it as neatly as possible but don’t worry too much.

Now add the coordinating ribbon embellishments with craft glue.  Allow these to dry and you are done!  Put fun treats or supplies inside – you can also re-gift to friends and family accordingly.

Related posts:

• Happy Independence Day!
• Fabric Christmas Wreath
• Holiday Votives
• Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!
• What to Make, What to Give?