Save & Recycle Used Candy & Mint Tins & Boxes

Save those used Candy Tins and Recycle them into Gift Card Containers or use for storing small items. The gift card holder is a useful and enjoyable handmade gift by itself and can be used for paper clips, safety pins & other small items.

Remove any stickers and clean & wash the used tins. Wipe with alcohol to remove any residue. Spray outside of tin using acrylic paints with several light coats. Turn upside down if you don't want to spray the inside too but you can paint it if you wish. Let dry. Paint your theme with acrylic paints. If you do not know how to paint flowers, etc, just paint simple items like stars, hearts, polka dots, stripes, etc. Or use a simple design like an American Flag, stick figure flowers, trees, etc. Let dry. You can add gold to the edges or paint the bottom a different color if you wish. Adding some glitter might be fun too!

Spray your painted box with a clear Acrylic or brush on varnish. Let dry. Apply severl light coats. Add your gift card and tie with a ribbon if you wish.

Tips: Use stencils if you feel you are not artistic. Be sure to spray light coats of paint so you do not get too much paint that might cause runs. Be sure paint is dry before moving to the next step. Have Fun!

Don't Toss Out Those Stained Cothes!

Who doesn't have a T-shirt, sweatshirt or pair of jeans and/or shorts that has a stain you can't remove. Instead of throwing it out paint something over it. Make it look intentional by adding more designs to match on other areas. Or paint the same design on a pair of jeans to match the T-shirt design you just painted so it looks like a set. Add the design to the sleeves, around the hem on a pocket, etc. so it looks like it was intentional & evens out the pattern.

Wash the garment but do not use any fabric softner on it. You can use regular acrylic paint that you buy at a craft store and adding a "fabric medium" to it. Just add a few drops of the medium to your acrylic paint as you paint your design. You can also buy fabric paint that is just for use on fabric. It makes the paint soft & spread more easily. After paint is good and dry set the paint with a hot iron. Place a cloth over the painting area & hold the iron over the paint for a few seconds & move to cover the entire area that you painted. Do not slide the iron back & forth, just hold it for a few seconds before moving to the next area. Garment is machine washable & dryable.

If you are not artistic you can simple make simple things like stars, dots, stripes, flags or other easy designs. A child's simple "flower" coloring design is so simple anyone can do it. If you make a mistake quickly use water & a little soap to remove it by patting it off. Do not spread the paint by using a back & forth motion.