I just made a discovery and have got to share it. I have been wishing for a gadget to hold my Zip Lock Freezer Bag open while I fill it. I thought about the tin can and went to my recycling bin and pulled out a 28 oz. Hunt's Tomato can.
I cut the bottom out, washed it good and gave it a try. It works great and makes putting stuff in the bag much easier. It fits perfectly down into the quart size bag and can be used on the gallon size bag also. This can will go in my utility drawer now.
By Betty from NC
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One of the ways I recycle is by burying my steel cans in my garden, I leave the bottoms on and I bury them about 12 in. deep open side up. I fill the canned with compost and then plant above it.
I needed small cake pans, but didn't have any, so I grabbed some empty tuna cans. They are just the right size for mini cake pans.
I keep all my food cans for recycling. Some I keep and decorate with paint, stickers, ribbons, and etc. I use them for organizing small items.
I eat a lot of the larger Campbell's chicken noodle soup (in the 25% more cans) and mandarin oranges from The Dollar Tree. While prepping them for recycling today, it hit me. The bigger one could be a lid for the smaller one.
The photo does not do this project justice, but it's an organizer that is very easy to make, uses materials you already have on hand, is very nice to look at, and best of all will help your kids keep their things in order.
I would just like to have you post the following in response to the recipes I have seen here that call for using empty food cans that are on this site:
When using the coffee plastic cans or even the metal ones, I make cookie cottages out of them, and give them as gifts, with home made goodies inside.
Call or go to any tennis club and ask then to save the empty tennis ball containers for you. Wash them out and use for almost anything.
I make a lot of homemade bread so I buy flour in bulk. To make measuring easier I keep a mandarin orange can in my flour container. It measures 2 cups and has grooves inside at the 1/2 and 1 cup level.
While doing any DIY project, organization is key. When you take off the hardware to paint furniture you do not want to lose the hardware.
Take your empty can and rinse it out with soap and water. Let air dry. Find anything you're not using and cover the front. I used juice pouches to match the purse.
Remember making these when we were young? This is a great indoor craft to do when it's too cold or raining outside for the little ones to play.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am going to be using tin cans from veggies and such for some crafts, and I can't seem to get the glue from the wrappers off, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to use that is very inexpensive to buy?
We use WD40 for this all the time. It works great if you spray it on (outside of course) and let it sit for a short while. Sometimes it may require a second application
How do you use tin cans other than recycling them. Ideas can include craft ideas or anything else you can think of. Please specify type or size of can.
I wash them out thoroughly so as not to attract unwanted critters, and then store a few for when I need to discard cooking oil from pan frying or deep frying. I pour the cooled oil into a can, then I stuff a couple napkins into it, close the lid (which I usually keep attached to the can), and place it in my trash. I've found this to be the best way to discard oil in the least messy way. Other than that, I recycle them. Thanks for a great newsletter!!!
Here's a few ideas for re-using coffee cans, large or small sizes.
An empty coffee can makes a great container for collecting kitchen sink-side compost. When it's full, take it out to the compost bin, and dump it. Then rinse it in the dishwater and keep using it.
At work we have 2 large empty coffee cans by the coffee machine to save the used grounds. A few gardeners take the used grounds home for their plants.
Empty coffee cans are great organizers for the workbench area to hold nails, screws, and small items.
A large empty coffee can is good for holding clothespins. Thread a wire hanger through two drilled holes in the can and hang the can from the clothesline while you are hanging clothes.
Coffee cans make great planters for outdoors or indoors. Just drill drainage holes in the bottom. Paint or decorate the cans. Wire a few together -- in groups of 3 would be nice -- for a larger planter.
Use wire to hang the planters over a railing or a fence. Attach heavy cord to make hanging planters.
Laid on their sides and glued, wired, or duct-taped together in a stacked pyramid, coffee cans make a cute shelving/storage system for a desk or workbench top. Paint and decorate the cans as well.
Decorated coffee cans work well for storing dry bulk ingredients in the pantry, such as rice, oats, and beans.
Keep your garden seeds stored -- nice and dry -- in an empty coffee can.
Stack and duct-tape 2 large cans on top of each other. Make two of these and lay a board on top for an instant shelf. Paint everything to match.
You can bake bread in the oven using coffee cans as the bread pans.
I have even read that footstools can be made from coffee cans joined together and then covered with fiberfill and cloth.
Only your imagination can limit you from finding MANY more uses for coffee cans.
Ness, co-list mom of Waste Nothing discussion group
