Recyled Madness: Project - Turn Your Tin Into - 'Can-dle' Holders

Tin cans...we all have them in abundance.  Most of the time they get tossed into the trash or recyled bin.  Turn Your Tin Into... will be a series of projects on how to put your pedal to the metal! 

The Pointer Sisters sang, "I know we can make it, I know we can, yes we can, can"…that is the theme of this so-easy candle holder project. The great thing about these 'can-dle' holders is that they can be put together quickly for a party, buffet, instant romantic touch, or to enhance outdoor ambience....run them along a walk way or scattered throughout the yard and use them again and again.

Supplies Needed: Small can such as tuna or cat food size. I prefer Bear & Wolf salmon cans, not only are the cans beautiful…inside looks like brushed silver outside an amber colored metal, but it is wild caught salmon and much healthier than canned tuna. Makes great salmon dip. There are natural rings pressed into the bottom where your tea light can rest if you choose not to keep it simple and just use the two items or to assure they stay in place, the top of Starbuck’s Frappacino makes a perfect holder and divider from your decorative surrounding matter. Tea lights can be purchased affordably at Walmart, Dollar Stores, Big Lots and other such places in large quantities. You can use generic no scent or scented. If using outdoors, use citronella tea lights to keep bugs away, but do not use those indoors. If you wish to enhance your candle holder, you can add small colored stones, beads, sand, cut glass or any nonflammable material to drizzle around the tea light holder. Optional: Colorful stones, buttons, old costume jewelry, theme items can be hot glued to the exterior of the can for add’l decorative flair.

This time we will keep it simple with two variations as you can see by the pictures.

In one it is just the can, Starbuck’s lid and tea light, in the other colorful glass stones have been added to reflect the light from within and to give a more polished look to the candle holder.

Use a can opener that cuts from the side to avoid sharp edges on your tin. Hold on to those lids as there will be a project for those up ahead. The paper comes off very easily but may leave some glue on one side, simply clean that off with a little Goof-Off. Make sure when you wash your can, to dry it very well to avoid rust. And if this can is going to be used outside on an ongoing basis, you may want to invest in some clear Rustoleum spray to weather proof it and your Starbucks lid. Next simply lay the Starbuck’s lid inside the interior ring. You can hot glue it if you wish but it is not necessary. For the simple version simply place your tea light inside the Starbuck’s lid and it’s done.


For the more polished look, add your beads or stones around the Starbuck’s lid making sure not to overflow the lid top. If you choose to hot glue decorations to the outside of your can, do that at the beginning. Make sure that whatever you add does not hang over where the candle might burn it or catch on fire.

If you choose to use larger candles such as votives, use a bigger can than the candle to prevent the wind from extinguishing your light but not so deep that it won’t get sufficient air. Never leave candles unattended or within reach of small children.

Use your imagination to put those discarded cans to use…and you will be singing, 'Yes I can can!’

Recycled Madness: Project - Love It Or 'Leaf' It - Wall Plaque

Walking outside recently I noticed bright red and deep brown leaves with an almost leathery texture. They were so beautiful that I was compelled to gather them for a project. At first I thought of laying them out under glass in a frame and that is certainly another option, but the red made me think of hearts. 

Supplies needed: Colorful leaves, they must be fresh (not yet dried out) and pliable to work with. Hot glue gun.  Craft paint for the back. One picture hanger.

A wooden heart or any shape desired. (Another option for the form is to take the heavy cardboard that comes under any frozen pizza and cut your own shape out of it (recycling). Or buy one wooden form and use it as a pattern to cut the rest out of the pizza cardboard.)

How to:  Start by painting your form - back and edges only. Once dry, hot glue the picture hanger to the back side. Once that is dry test it to be sure it stays on. Next comes the fun part…you simply start by layering one leaf on top of another, work from the outside border in and make sure your outside leaves overlap the form edge all the way around. Variations: You can blend different types of leaves…for example in the middle you could glue a large maple leaf. Or think outside the box and add other nature elements such as a small pine cone, seeds, or fresh flowers that have been pressed flat. (put the flower in a paper towel and place a heavy book on top or put inside the pages of a thick book.) You could also spray paint the final piece if you wanted a specific color, but I found that the natural color of these particular leaves was just perfect.

The funny part of this project is that the leaves came from a neighbor’s yard so it seemed only right that they should be the first recipient of this creation. When I presented it, my neighbor gave it a long look then with a sober expression said, ‘You must really be bored!’  I had to laugh.  It was definitely not the reaction I expected. As I walked away I wondered if my neighbors now think of me as the crazy lady that is gluing leaves to everything!

Well, that brings us back to the beginning, nature art may not be for everyone. 
All I can say is...
"Love it or ‘leaf’ it!"

Recycled Madness: Project - Decorative Mobile ~ Ceiling Art

Ceiling art is no longer limited to baby's room.  Colorful shapes and materials have now come together in artful expressions that accent environments and amuse adults as well. This project was made from things I had on hand, but the concept can be easily adapted to create your own decorative mobile, from a single strand (as shown) spread out to various levels and layers. Let your imagination soar!

Materials Used: silver beading wire .3mm, 4-5 stones with holes, beads or large decorative buttons, 3-4 small silver based rhinestone buttons, silver wire card holders such as those found anchored in gift planters (or if you cannot find those, use a heavy duty wire that can be shaped and bent to your desired design or try reshaping large paper clips), several large silver rings. Needles nose plier, and a wire cutter. 

In this case, I happened to have some predrilled stones on hand.  The large silver rings were actually from the back of an old summer dress ~ the dress wore out in the 80's but I cut out the rings and saved them thinking I would use them for something someday.  The swirling wire pieces were from gift planter card holders.  Three rhinestone buttons finish off the bottom adding sparkle in lower lighting and drawing the eye toward the mobile. 

How to: Cut a piece of beading wire about 1' in length and tie off around first ring on one end. String the rest of the line through a bead and tie off onto the next ring.  Take the wire card holder which is swirled on top and snip off half of the long straight end piece.  Bend the end piece with needle nose plier around the next ring. Now your mobile should be starting to take the shape of ring, bead, ring, wire swirl, bead or ring, and so on repeating the pattern of your choice.  When you reach the bottom or last bead, string wire through three or more silver rhinestone buttons, run the beading wire back up though the last bead and tie off on the last ring above it. 

Now take a long length of silver beading wire .3mm or plastic fishing line cut to your desired height and hang your mobile from a hook inserted in the ceiling, cabinet bottoms, side wall hooks or indoor tree.   You can also hang your mobiles outside from patio covers or in trees, just be sure the materials you use are adapable to outside weather conditions, weatherized or weather proof.  Stainless steel and brass are great for outdoor projects and brass tends you get a nice patina over time.  

Anyone can purchase materials to make a mobile, the challenge is to use materials from around the house that may be sitting unused or on their way to the trash bin.  Be eco-creative.  Look at your discards with new eyes.

Your creative effort has produced a work of art to embellish a small space in your private world by reusing materials you have also saved a little of your outer world.

Recyled Madness - Project: Atmospheric Lighting

Recycling and the green movement are hot topics. We ship our trash off to China where it is remade into product and sold back to us. This made me start to wonder...if they can do it, why can't we?

Putting the remanufacture of product aside, what about just looking at our discards with new eyes... ultimately turning our trash into treasure?

And so, with that in mind I will be introducing new "How to" ecofriendly discoveries on http://www.lifeonplanetone.blogspot.com/ 

This recycled project is very simple...I wish I could take credit for this fun innvention but the credit goes to my brother's very creative girlfriend Gina. She made these wonderful accent lighting pieces at Christmas for friends but I have found this lighting can be used anytime of the year, indoors or out.

Supplies needed: A great looking empty bottle and a short chord of Christmas lights about 3' max.  I found a long neck wine bottle 1 1/2 ft tall at a garage sale for twenty five cents. 

How to: Slowly drop the lights into the bottle (finished end first) and voila, you have created a great accent light.  Use one on a table in the corner of room, line up a row on a buffet, great for parties, find an elegant bottle and put one in the bedroom or bath (away from water please!), you are only limited by your imagination. 

Use outside...line your walkway with a row of accent light bottles. You can even take a longer line of lights and drop them along into a row of multicolored glass jars along a path, spread randomly on the patio, or throughout the yard (be sure to use exterior lights in that case). 

Beautiful atmospheric lighting that will add a glow to your special space while saving the planet in one more place.