Recycling crafts with aluminium and cans

We know that aluminium cans can be recycled, but there is an expensive process involved to transform aluminium cans into new products. There are so many ways to re-use aluminium cans in the home... for decor, for jewellery and for fun.

 

the3rsblog.wordpress.com

Allison at the 3 r's used aluminium can tabs to make this amazing pendant lamp. A total of 1500 tabs were used to make the lamp shade, and each tab is glued onto a shade frame. Allison admits that the project took some time to complete and requires a fair amount of concentration, but I do like the end result.

escamastudio.com

Using can tabs to make shoulder bags, handbags and clutch bags, as well as various fashion accessories such as belts and bracelets, is becoming the hottest fashion trend. Making a can tab bag is not as difficult as it seems and if you start out with a small project, such as our can tab bracelet, you will soon understand how easy it is to make a can tab bag.

canlove.org

Canlove takes empty cans of spray paint and transforms them into spray bouquets. They are devoted to properly recycling cans by turning them into various artworks.

kootutmurut.com

Jutta at kootut murut transformed aluminium coffee tins into a practical and pretty pen holder. The recycled coffee tins can be used to store little trinkets, pens, paint brushes etc. The tins are secured with a belt.

Aluminium cans make unique jewellery that is quickly becoming a fashion statement. Just love these aluminium can bracelets where the branding is kept intact rather than painted over or removed.

etsy.com/listing/59691232/pop-soda-can-tab-bracelet-white-cord

I am sure the kids would love to try and make these can tab bracelets and can rings. They're cool and definitely trendy, plus they can add their own embellishments. Click here for a tutorial on how to make a can tab bracelet.

 

 

foxhollowcottage.com

With my love of shabby chic, this painted aluminium can with fabric rose detail is definitely a project I would like to try, and there are so many other ways to finish off cans to suit your own decor style.

Tin cans can also be used for other types of storage as well. Quite a while back I made a wine rack with tin cans of different sizes.

geekcrafts.com/pop-tab-prom-dress/

Thought we'd seen it all? This prom dress is made entirely of can tabs and ribbon. The dress used 15 metres of ribbon, nearly 4000 can tabs, and the patience of 100 hours of tedious weaving. While a prom dress can cost anywhere from R1000 upwards, all this dress cost was ribbon and the time spent to make it.

Here's a wonderful way to keep the kids occupied when on school holidays. Let them repurpose tin cans into funky robots. They can embellish the cans with household accessories and some sticky dots. Or they can use cans to make practical pencil holders for their study desks.

secondchancesbysusan.blogspot.com/2011/05/spam-can-be-good-thing.html

instructables.com/id/Torch-made-from-coke-can-and-cereal-box/

I was amazed to discover how to make a torch from a cereal box, a coke can, a couple of batteries and a few other basic items. This truly is recycling at its best.

etsy.com/listing/115038288/recycled-light

This unusual pendant light is made from an old wire basket fan. It lets off cool stripes around the room when lit.

Still one of my favourite tin can recycling projects is this flower caddy. So easy to make and it looks gorgeous on a patio or balcony.

And last but not least, you can use upcycled can to grow almost anything small. Paint up the cans with Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint and pot them up with herbs or wheat grass.