Coffee Tins, Glass Jars, Plastic Containers

[MissKitty]

I took an old drinking glass that came from a restaurant I think (found it in my yard). It is pretty thick glass. Melted down a bunch of old candle bits to make a candle out of it. The color is like root beer, so it looks pretty cool.

[HaggyMama]

Ok, I clicked on this to reply without reading the whole eight pages, so just maybe someone has said this before.   

But, here goes...

The coffee tins, round ones, can be made into tall skinny waste baskets that fit into tight corners or small spaces, as in beside a bed or tucked against the wall behind the arm of a chair.  You can fit newpaper wrapping bags into them as liners, and if it's dampish around, snap on the plastic lid as a bottom protector, so no rust rings apply themselves to your floorings. 

I duct tape three of any size together ( 3 or 2 pound ones works best but the little ones are fine, too)  in a stack, after cutting out the bottoms on two of them. 

Then wrap them all around with the thinnest corregated cardboard that you can find in craft stores or sometimes get lucky finding to recycle. 

Over that goes any nifty and/or beautiful wrapping paper which you could then seal with an acrylic spray or something, or leave the way it comes if you like. 

Into the bottom I usually stuff crumpled brown paper sacking so that it's not so deep.  Blow up the bag like a balloon, and push it down into the your new waste basket  and then fold over the top of the bag out around the lip. 

I've liked mine for years, and change out the wrapping paper whenever I'm tired of looking at it.   

[neverendingjourney]

THOSE REAL NICE FOLGER COFFEE CONTAINERS THEY HAVE OUT NOW...THEY ARE A GREAT SIZE AND PLASTIC!!
I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM!!!! I ADMIT MY HUBBY IS A CARPENTER AND HE LOVES THEM FOR NUTS AND BOLTS, DRY WALL SCREWS ECT BUT I HAVE SOME IN MY CABINETS FOR SOME STORAGE BUT IT IS GETTING A BIT TACKY LOOKING! I CANT BEAR TO THROW THEM AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS DARLA

[Melladh]

whow there, caps lock

well, you can make them into used-batteries-containers, or piggy banks. I use an old yoghurt-bucket for my laundry deturgant since I buy deturgant in bulk and have to use the laundry room (I have my own washer, but it's tiny, and I don't have a drier...  )

If you know someone who knits or crochets you could probably make some sort of opening in the top somehow and make it a yarn-holder (though I don't know what size these containers are ofcourse)

Hm, I should go paint my instant-ice-tea jars

[HaggyMama]

Anyony who still wants large cans for doing any projects can beg a few from most little restaurants.  They get a lot of their stuff in large cans.  They would be happy to let you have them.

I've seen torched cans all over the place at craft shows with rows of skinny slats cut with a torch to make candelaria like coverings.  Some people get $25 for a large can.    



 Haha  Don't burn your fingers!

[Penguin Pat]

How cosmic! I've spent several weekends in my basement this winter, trying to clean up, organize and toss out unused items. It's so hard to throw things away, when you know you can make "something useful" out of them, LOL! I have a whole bag of baby food jars, destined for the recycle bin, but I overlooked them when I went. Now I find out that baby food is coming out in cute little plastic containers with snap-on lids. So maybe I'll hang onto those little glass jars, afterall. I've saved loads of the amber prescription bottles too, and started saving them to store my seeds in. I just got carried away, and keep on saving them. I think I'll glue then all together, side by side, standing on end (somehow). Then I'll sink it in my garden as a stepping stone. The 2 huge bags of coffee tins made it to the recycle center. Now my favorite brand comes in nice plastic containers too. I still have many tin cans serving many useful purposes in the workshop.

[rowdypea]

For babyfood jars, this is a cute idea someone made for me:

Drill fairly big holes in the lids of your jars and screw them back on (it takes about 12-16 I can't remember)Take a pool triangle and fill it with the babyfood jars ina pyramid shape.  use epoxy to adhere them together and then when dry remove the triangle.  using a string of christmas tree lights, insert a few lights into each hole.  Voila--now you have a very beautiful lamp.  Actually it is one of those things that is fairly tacky in daylight, but in the dark or semi-dark--wow!!

For international coffe tins:

I paint them or decoupage them, add rhinestones or other embellishment, write a birthday message like "Celebrate" on it and fill it with birthday candles for friends. (I'm the broke one in my circle of friends--thus I *have* to be creative)

A variation on this--I decorate them for a new baby and then write, for example "Quinn's Goof Fund" on it.  On the card I write something about how college funds are for moms and dads but aunties get to start goof funds. (goof fund= fun money) of course you always have to put a little seed money in there.  a nice crisp dollar (or better yet a silver dollar) looks classic and of course, only costs a dollar.

This is a fun thread! Lots of good ideas.

[shantellioooo]

now mind you b4 you read this i have no clue about fire and tin (& etc) and how they react to eat other but i just thought that maybe somehow you could like heat them up so they would bend like in the oven or such and then you could shape them like a pot or vase then let them dry then sand them down then paint them if your into a rich europeanish vibe.. if i remember ill attempt it and get back to you..  ~Shantell

[allisonwonderland]

Hey guys -

I found a great use for Starbuck's Frappucino bottles. My roommate and I recently bought a case of them and I just couldn't bear to throw the empty bottles away. Plus the drinks are so pricey (and addictive!)  that we might as well recycle the bottles into something useful and awesome.

The bottles have a great shape (like old-timey milk bottles) and the glass they're made from is quality.

I peeled the stickers off the bottles (they come off very easily) and ran a few through the dishwasher. This removed the ink stamps on the bottles.

I saved the caps for another project, and I covered each of the neck tops on the bottles (where the threads are to screw the lids on) with a patterned grosgrain ribbon. I dropped a tealight into each jar and VOILA! Easy, beautiful indoor or outdoor candles.

Some other uses I could think of are

1) Painting the bottles with colored transparent paint and repeating the tealight idea
2) Decorating the lids and using the bottles for storage
3) Covering the neck tops with wire and beads for tealights, storage, or vases

Any more?  :-) ok..not to sound very stupid9be kind,, I am hungover ahd have had NO coffee yet,,lol.........but...tealights..those are the little tiny smooshed sorta candle that comes with the metal bottom thingies/also.....how do ya light the cndle once its in there?one of those torch things/aaannddd finally.....i know its s small candle...but the heat from the flame wont shatter the glass/i aslo cuz I drink  a lot of thses things and I neeeded a great idea for the bootlles(lids are magnets)

[allisonwonderland]

ok..i messsed up the above post....i was asking about the idea for taking those starbucks bottles and making them inot candle holders............ .....not sure if u can read what i wrote,,,,,,,tell me if u cant....tia