uses for cookie tins

16 years ago

I have tons of the empty cookie tins. I have used all I can inside my house and now would like to take them outside. I used some for cookies during special times but still have others.

Have candles, sewing, first aid kit, buttons...etc, now need outside ideas.

Don't want to throw away but reuse them....somehow.

Does anyone have any ideas for using them outside. All shapes, sizes and colors. Some are to small to plant flowers in.

Thank you

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Comments (6)

concretenprimroses
16 years ago
Ready Made magazine had a cool thing once, but they don't have it on their web site anymore (at least I couldn't find it.)
What someone did was make a 3 tier serving piece using 3 different sizes of tins, and maybe a top of one. It struck me that it would be a neat looking tiered planter.
They drilled holes in the middle of each of the 3 tins, and somehow attached them at different heights to a threaded metal bar using washers and nuts.
I loved how it looked and thought I'd save the photo, but of course I can't find it.
If you have a small one that is big enough to hold a ball of string you could punch a hole in the top to pull the string through for easy access. (Just make the hole not too sharp, tho a built in cutter could be good too).
small tins can also be punched with holes in designs and then hold a tea light (with out the cover).
Be sure to post what you do with pics!

Kathy
sunnyca_gw
16 years ago
If you have big ones like popcorn ones they work well for magazines, storing balls, dog or cat toys etc on the patio. Most cookie tins are not the best metal for outside use so will last better if sealed inside & out with couple of coats of Krylon clear sealer (spray it on),even then they would do best on covered porch,I used popcorn tin for dad to store birdseed in as the cover keeps critters out of it. Dry dog food could be in couple of them also. If you have grandkids might put some collections in some, seashells, rocks you picked up on a walk with the kids, colored "seaglass" or small stones with holes in them you find by a lake. A collection of seed pods, dried pine cones or other small dried things that you might be able to sit down with the kids & glue them onto a wooden plaque you made so they can take their creation home & hang it on their wall. Use a small pic. hanger, 1 of those with saw teeth & 2 little nails, do that 1st & then stain the wood(depending on ages they could help or you could pre-do that. Glue on sea shells, rocks, little dried things. If you use dried seeds & pods & pinecones its best to put them on a cookie sheet & in oven about 20 min. at 200 degrees to kill off any little bugs inside, can also use nuts in shell left over at Christmas & bake them for 20 min. also. Can spray your finished project & start saving up for more "projects" Maybe each of kids would like to have a tin of their own to take home & another for their own glue, colors etc. at grandma's. Neighbor kids might like their own "treasure" tin or you could offer some to your church, they are great in classrooms in younger grades for passing colors around.(Boxes of colors tend to get messed up & colors broken as kids try to "force the colors" back in the box. I just dump 3-4 boxes of crayons in the tin & kids can quickly find color they want. Of course the collections could be things you like to collect, things you find on walks, at beach,bleached out small bones, odd shaped twigs, rock that looks like a frog or snail, lady bug, etc. with just a bit of paint(for eyes, spots, coil of black for snail), if you like to paint. I made lovely plaques 1 year for my relatives & I still see them. You clean them couple of times a year with damp rag to get dust off & damp small artist brush to get in places you can't reach. I've even made sticker ball(from liquid amber tree I think) & old nuts glued onto a fruitwood stained plywood round to make a candle holder for a 4-5 in thick candle. So tins are great for storing things until ready to use. Good Luck! Jan
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goldilocs
16 years ago
Found this on the web. Thought some of your really pretty tins would make into beautiful small lamps or stack a few to make a taller\\ lamp. They sell kits to make lamps somewhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: tobacco tin lamp
sunnyca_gw
16 years ago
Kudzu over on Garden Junk forum just posted her 2 really nice bird feeders! Guess what they are-- cookie tins. They are really cute. Notice how she poked holes around bottom of sides for seed to come out & the 2nd pic is an aluminum pie pan(I have 1) so it won't rust. What a great idea!! Go have a look!! Jan
concretenprimroses
16 years ago
The lamp is a cute idea for a vintage tin.
Jan and I had the same thought. Here is the link to the garden junk post about the bird feeders.
Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu's tin bird feeders
sunnyca_gw
16 years ago
Thanks Kathy, I don't know how to move a link from 1 forum to another. I just didn't want Katie to miss such a cute idea! I'm going to look at TS tomorrow(25% off day) for a tin that looks antique. Kudzu's idea is so cute & fits in with all my other antique stuff. Jan

uses for cookie tins

Comments (6)

concretenprimroses

sunnyca_gw

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