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!