Here’s a project from your grammar school days. This Valentine’s Day, there’s no need to buy candy in plastic containers with wasteful packaging or flowers in another unwanted vase. Use a soup can. Fill it with candy and nuts, pencils, a handmade toy, flowers, a plant (poke holes in the bottom of the can or use rocks for drainage), money, a gift card or whatever else your sweetie might like. I’ve made it easy for you by providing these templates for 15 ounce cans. Be sure to thoroughly wash the can, remove the label and make sure there are no sharp pieces on the rim.
If you sew, you can quickly make a fabric sleeve for your soup can. I’ve included instructions here (soup-can-fabric-sleeve) for a sleeve with an appliqué heart. I also made one without the heart from this great Cicada Studio linen blend fabric. Now for me, using small pieces of fabric from my stash is recycling, but you could also use some old clothing or vintage fabric.
If you don’t sew, here’s a quick template (soup-can-paper-template) using card stock, a craft knife, and some glue. I really like the look of the steel ridges in the can, so this one exposes them. Would be even better if you used some paper from the recycling bin. If you are one of those people like me who is constantly de-cluttering, you won’t feel bad about tossing these cans after Valentine’s Day because they can go right back into the recycling bin.
My kids also decorated some cans with stamps and paint. The possibilities are endless.
See these related tutorials:
Beaded cans from Susan Beal for CraftStylish.
Fabric vase covers from How about orange.
Can covers from Elsie Marley with great embroidery designs.
Silly as it is, I have started a Facebook group for The Long Thread. Not sure yet what I’ll do with it, but I’d love to have some more members. Not that 19 isn’t enough — those are 19 quality people there, but you know.
I just joined!
Facebook is a seductive time-vaccuum
I joined too!
I love this idea- my kindergartners love seeing all of their pencils, markers and scissors stored and sorted into colorful containers….
Those are adorable…..when I was a kid I made a pencil holder out of cans that looked like a castle for my Dad. It was a big hit 🙂
You are one of the craftiest people on the internet! I love this idea! We just got a sewing machine, and I think this is a great project for my older two to put some time into making for someone special. Thanks for sharing such a sweet idea!
Wow those are so cute what a great idea I am so loving the creativity and idea behind a recycled valentine very inspiring, thanks
I have been saving Formula cans since Adler was born, because I had lots of Preschool crafting ideas to do with them. I think sewing a sleeve is so much more sophisticated 🙂 Thanks.
Awesome idea…and all recycled and green…better still
oh how funny! I just recovered a can with paper and ribbon to hold all of my markers! Now I want to cover one with fabric!
Very clever indeed!
THANK YOU!! I’m on a mission now to make these for my son’s 1st grade teacher and daughter’s preschool teacher for Valentine’s Day! This is a perfect gift for any occasion. Keep up the great work!
great tutorials; thanks !
By the way, I’ve nominated you for a blog award. Please stop by and pick it up!
What a wonderful idea! I am going to start saving a few cans to decorate. My daughters could use some pencil/marker/paintbrush organization pronto!
very cool!
Brilliant, I’m a patchwork, quilting person so have fabric etc,. to make these for scissors and such.
Hello, can I use some of your picture for my GCSE upcycling coursework? email me please