Purple Raven Crafts Creations: Repurpose: Tin Can into Planter

Image1.
Repurposed tin can to mod planter

UPCYCLING IS FUN!

It is that time of year again, where all I want to do is sow my seeds and grow some food and beautiful flowers. The calm that washes over me tending to these delicate things and creating new life is blissful, as it is for so many of us.
Unfortunately, if you're anywhere near the same boat as I am, getting pots is so expensive, and when you have a tentative living situation and/or are a renter/apartment dweller, it isn't always so simple to just plant away.
It almost defeats its own purpose, well, at least part of the purpose, that is to save money by not having to purchase expensive fresh produce.
I ran into this problem today. I went to the store and they were having an excellent sale on seeds, I intended to buy some but just could afford the pots to put them in. How awesome it was that I had come across THIS on Pinterest, and it hit me...why not a planter?
I had just finished a can of coffee and it would be perfect for this project.
Here is my whole process:

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Supplies

Here's What You Will Need:

*Tin can, coffee or soup will work

*Paint (I used Martha Stewart's any surface acrylics

*Sheet of paper

*Exacto blade

*Paint brush/sponge brush

*Hammer

*Nail

*Spray adhesive

**Alternate**Hot glue gun

1. Grab your can and paint your base color

Image 3.
You will probably need to paint several layers, and you may be like me in that you lose patients with letting each one dry properly. But hang in there.

2. Once the paint is completely dry hammer in the nail around the bottom of the can.

Image 4.
In all reality it probably should
have been done first. But I did it
second and touched
up the paint.

Don't hammer the nail in all the way you may find it difficult to pull it back out. These holes are your drainage spots for excess water. I put in four for good measure.

3, 4 & 5 Adding the "Love":

Image 5

Image 7
Placing the stencil

Write your word on the sheet of paper and cut it out with the exacto blade. Be sure to also cut out the center of each letter As seen in Image 6.

Keep the centers, that's what you are going to be using. Cut around the word from the sheet of paper as seen in Image 7.

Image 6

Take that sheet and the centers you cut out in the previous step and spray the wrong side with the spray mount. Let it dry most of the way, you want to create a temporary tacky surface not permanent. After it is mostly dry, stick it on the can wherever you want it to be. (Image 7)

Take your paint brush, and fill in your stencil.

Image 8
Fill in the blanks

6. Finishing Touches:

Once you have touched up the paint from the stencil, like I had to. Your planter is complete and ready for dirt and seeds!

My stencil turned out a little less than perfect but I like that fact. It almost looks like it was written in chalk. Which may be a future project!

***Alternate***

For my second can, the stencil was a disaster. I was far too impatient and didn't wait for the paint to dry nor did I give the spray mount proper drying time. So, when I peeled off the stencil, it took the paint with it...FAIL!

So, I took an idea from another pin I found utilizing a hot glue gun.

Writing with the glue gun was a little more difficult than I had initially thought. It turned out a bit sketchy, but considering the general feel I was going for, I think it works.