Tin Can Transformed

"Wait! Don’t throw out that tin can… Turn it into something useful with a bit of paint and your imagination. What was once an empty soup can on its way to the recycling bin is now a cute vase for my outdoor patio table. Here’s what I did. After washing out the can and soaking off the label, I spray painted it with a mint green acrylic, and allowed it to dry overnight. Then I used a pencil to roughly transfer the sketch below onto it. Next, I selected the different colours of acrylic paint that I wanted to use—olive green and tan brown for the branches, yellow for the tiny leaves (I had forsythia in mind), two shades of purple for the flowers and a mustard gold for the flower center—then I got to work. Once the paint dried, I sprayed it with a clear acrylic finish. "

Primary TechniquePainting

Materials List

• tin can
• acrylic paints (see colour description in blog)
• thin brushes
• flower pattern template shown on blog
• clear acrylic spray sealant

NotesUse your decorated tin can as an outdoor vase on your patio table, or as a pencil/pen holder on your desk. So pretty!