Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Recycled Fall Treat Containers




At last!  Here are some decorating ideas for Fall goody containers.  Make up several to fill with nuts, candies, snack mixes and give as "from-the-heart" gifts to teachers, friends, and co-workers.

First, you'll need empty metal cans; clean and dry.  

Remove labels and glue.  Wash cans in warm, soapy water.


Add rinsed cans to a sink of cool water + 1 Cup of vinegar to remove oils.

Allow to dry thoroughly before painting.

Seal with a multi-purpose sealer (I use DecoArt(R) Americana.
 I like to spray cans with a light coat of dark brown after sealing.  This gives them a little "tooth" which gives the acrylic paint something to stick to.  Add base coats with a sea sponge or sponge brush.  This prevents stroke marks.  Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next coat.
Transfer designs to painted cans using transfer paper and a stylus. 
Paint as desired.  Fill baggies with nuts, candies, or snack mixes and use a chenille stem for the tie.  Or, wrap homemade cookies in waxed paper.  (Tip: make your raw cookie dough into smaller balls before baking; that way they're just the right size for a large can).



This design wraps all the way ...

... around the pail!
Varnish lightly and allow to dry thoroughly before outlining details with a permanent marking pen.

More ideas to come!  I'm still wrestling with "how to" upload patterns onto my blog.  If you know how to do this, I am ALL EARS!

2 comments:

eileen hull said...

These are adorable Meggan!

Unknown said...

Thank you, Eileen!