(Revised with new DIY projects 8/21/23)

In Frugal Crafts: Don't Throw Out Those Cans, the graphic for this post

Projects With Tin Cans:

  • Soup Can & Pegboard Organization
  • Tin Cans Teamed With Graphics
  • Tin Can Christmas Tree Hack
  • Tin Can Planter
  • Tin Can Pumpkins
  • Tin Can Owl
  • Makeup Organizers
  • Tin Can Hand Bag
  • Tin Can Planter

Creative people take trash and turn it into treasure. Every single one of these projects started with a can, so don’t throw out those cans if you’re a crafter!

Clean and keep your cans if you have somewhere to store them. Then turn them into recycled works of art or something useful.

Cans are a perfect vessel to help you become organized. Dress those cans up and use them for storage and organization.

Soup Can & Pegboard Organization:

A pegboard organizer with decorated tin cans for storage
Photo Source

If you’re trying to get an office space in your home organized, soup cans can come to your rescue. You can glue pretty paper to soup cans and attach them to a pegboard.

Vertical storage is always useful. Click here for the instructions.

Tin Cans Teamed With Graphics:

In Frugal Crafts: Don't Throw Out Those Cans, decorate empty vessels like this and make them pretty.
Photo Source

If you want to make something decorative, print graphics from the internet and glue them onto the cans.

The Graphics Fairy website is a good place to look for printables.

You can find the instructions to make this DIY here.

Tin Can Christmas Tree Hack:

A Christmas craft
Photo Source

At the holidays, there are usually spots you might want to add a small Christmas tree. Like a shelf, for instance. Or in a vignette. You could even give it as a gift.

Get the instructions to make this DIY here.

Tin Can Planter:

In Frugal Crafts: Don't Throw Out Those Cans, this one becomes a pocket planter
Photo Source

This cute can project would make a nice gift for Mother’s Day.

Tin Can Owl:

Tin can owl DIY
Photo Source

I’d say someone who has a very creative mind came up with this tin can owl. It’s adorable!

You can find instructions to make it here.

Makeup Organizers:

In Frugal Crafts: Don't Throw Out Those Cans, these became makeup organizers
Photo Source

Upcycled tin cans can make great organizers. You could store makeup brushes, pencils, etc. in them.

Click here for the instructions.

Tin Can Hand Bag:

A pocket planter becomes a handbag
Photo Source

This DIY is one big dose of cute! A tin can you can turn into a handbag. Now that’s creativity at its best.

Click here for instructions to make one of your own.

Tin Can Planter:

In Frugal Crafts: Don't Throw Out Those Cans, these cans become cute planters.
Pinterest

For this DIY tin can planter: paint your can, add embellishments, and drill holes in the bottom. And you’ve got yourself a cute little planter.

Cans are plentiful in our day-to-day life. We toss them into the trash all the time. But these cute crafts prove that maybe we should keep them and turn them into something decorative. Or useful.

Who doesn’t need a big dose of “cute” in the form of upcycled tin cans?

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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

20 Comments

  2. What fun ideas. I really like the little Christmas tree idea for a ‘take along’ as a little gift for someone. Nice post, Brenda. Diana

  4. It never ceases to amaze and awe me at how creative and inventive people are. I like decorating and enjoy switching my house up from time to time, but it’s with things already made or that I have, not things that I create, other than (rarely these years) a small water color or two. To me, cutting out a pretty greeting card cover and framing it is great! Kudos to the creative people out there, and thanks for gathering some of these really clever treatments of an ordinary tin can. I especially liked the decorated cans with the small artificial Christmas trees (just gorgeous) and the so cute and right up my alley tin can owl! Marvelous!

  5. These are some beautiful ideas, Brenda. Can’t wait to try some of them!
    Thank you so much!

  6. Wow, that’s a lot of creative ideas. I never would have thought of making a purse. Try going through airport security with that, lol! I agree, the owl is adorable!! He made me smile. The only thing I ever did with used cans was play telephone with my friends as a kid. Do you remember that? Two cans, or cups, with a string attaching them, then you tried to talk to your friends with them. That brought back some fun memories as a kid.

  7. I love the caddy, I have to check that out for this summer! I was just at a blog where the gal used a can with a fabric piece over the top. She puts her battery operated candles in them (those are terribly ugly!!).

    Thanks, Brenda. I hope you have a great weekend.

    Jane x

  8. I love them all! What you can do without spending money is wonderful.

    Kathy

  10. I save all cans but I don't decorate them. I take them out to the garage where my husband puts paint brushes in them or extra nails. My dad used to label the cans for different size bolts and nuts and screws. Of course everything was in the dry and lasted forever. I remember my mom"s big rusty gallon cans with plants planted in them. I love the pictures you've gathered of the pretty decorated cans!

  11. Brenda I saw some of you pins yesterday with can projects…needless to say I will be saving cans to do some projects with. You find the neatest things! Thank you!

    Sue

  12. These are all great ideas for repurposing, Brenda. To be honest, I don't really eat canned food except for tuna, but maybe I can scrounge some from people I know because I would like to make a few of these. xo Laura

  13. I love these tood- go on line on ebay and even pinterest and put in card baskets, or recycled cards in to baskets. people have made these different size baskets since the 40s with their BD cards and christmas cards. I have made a few. they come in different sizes, some have lids. I have a few from the 50s and one from the 70s. you can find some patterns on line too. I found a small one in an antique shop a few yrs ago and it had a lid to it- they wanted 75 for it.

  14. One of my aunts was a very crafty woman. In the 50's when every dime they were making went into buying their house, she made Christmas candles using big juice cans. She spray painted them red, glued some sparkly stuff to the upper edge, put candle stubs inside and lit them, they really looked like big expensive candles. I love making throwaway stuff into something useful.

  19. I love these creative can decorating ideas! There are several I'd love to craft. I definitely will be saving my cans. Thanks for sharing…

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