Here are two tips for the less handy among us.
After making one cut into the handle of a popular coffee can, I ended up with a weather and bug-resistant container for my clothes-pins. One for each line, just slide it as you hang out the clothes. Thinking about it now, connecting the lid with a piece of string would keep it handier than picking it off the ground.
Inspired by this, I took my trusty steak knife and carefully carved an opening in the corner of another can. And I twisted a small hole into the handle to accept the screw hook. Now the birds have another alfresco dining spot.
At least now I'm not tripping over empty containers I knew could be used for something.
David from Cheboygan, MI
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have many 3 lb. coffee cans that I hate to throw away. Does anyone have any clever and practical uses for them? Thanks.
K
My personal favorite is to use coffee cans for perennial transplants in the spring. I divide and give away lots of plant divisions and these cans are often the perfect size to use. They also make good planters for outdoors, and 3 can be wired together to make an interesting, larger-sized planter. You can also paint the cans and decorate them with designs if you like.
Another use is to have an empty coffee can by the sink to put all your compostable waste into. Keep the lid on it until it is full. Then empty into your compost bin. Wash it out and keep using it.
At work, we keep an empty coffee can by the coffee pot. The used coffee grounds go into the tin, and a fellow who is an avid gardener takes the can home when it is full. Then another empty coffee can takes its place and gets filled up again.
