Can Do!

This morning I decided to use some scraps to whip together a quick pencil holder. I remember when I was growing up "being green" was called Ecology. Does anyone remember that? There used to be a big green flag that went along with the movement. I found a picture of it!

Anyway, as my contribution to being green or ecology I try not to throw away soup and other cans. Instead I cut them with a safety can opener I bought from Pampered Chef from my sweet friend, Jeanette Lumbert. You can contact her at jlumbert@yahoo.com. It keeps the edges rounded, not sharp. I wash the can and remove the label and save it for when I have time to change it into something useful. Today was that day for this particular can.

The first thing you need to do is to measure the can from the bottom edge to the top edge and then cut your piece of paper 12" by the number you measured. That makes it easy when you're using 12" by 12" paper. Use a trimmer so it's nice and straight. I used Moon Doggie paper by Close to my Heart. What a cute set of paper, all beachy and reminiscent of the 1960's (boy, I'm really dating myself today).

Use Tombow adhesive all over the back and especially the edges of your large strip of paper and then wrap it around the can. The important thing to remember is that you want the paper to line up perfectly all away around so be careful and follow the edge of the can. Now take your Tombow again (if you don't have this adhesive yet, why not??) and apply it around the top edge of the can. That will hold your ribbon down. I start from the back side (where the seam is) and attach the center of the ribbon there then carefully follow the edge of the can around the top bringing the two ends together to tie in front.

Next cut a 1 1/2 " by 12" strip of a coordinating paper to accent the center of the can. I distressed the edges to make it really stand out (always good to do whenever using pattern papers together). Use the tombow again to attach it and make sure the paper is even all the way around.

Take some waxy flax (another product I can't live without) and tie, through buttons, trim the excess flax. Remember, with waxy flax you can tie just once and it will stay flat and perfect.

Using Glue Dots, attach each button around the center of the accent strip. Too cute!

Finally glue another ribbon down at the bottom of the can and this time, don't tie it. Cut it exact in the back of the can so that the two sides match up or overlap just a bit. Now how easy was that?

Just for fun, here's another version of the can using flowers with sparkle centers instead of buttons and two different strips of paper instead of one around the whole thing, neat, huh?

The paper is Daydream. Imagine the possiblities!