Before I throw anything away, I always try to think if there is anything crafty I can do with it. While opening a can of tomatoes one day, it dawned on me that metal cans could be great with flowers in them. These planters are so cute with the addition of twine and simple berries and leaves. With all the holiday gatherings coming up, make one of these to bless your host. Or use them to add fall-color mums to your home. Plant your herbs in them and hang them in your kitchen windows during the cold winter months. Or better yet, plant some holiday flowers in them, attach a Bible verse, and give them to your neighbors. Being so inexpensive to make, the possibilities are endless!

What you will need:

  • Tin cans of any size (If you have small ones and bigger ones, you can plant a plant in the smaller one, and place it in the larger one.)
  • Twine
  • Felt sheets (only about $.35 at the craft store and there is a wide variety of colors)
  • Plants
  • Soil
  • Hot glue

Directions:

  1. Clean out the tin can after you have emptied the food. Decide if you want to plant your plant in a smaller tin can (to be placed in a larger one) or plant it directly into the larger one. Whatever you decide, you need to take a bottle opener and make holes in the bottom of your can. Two holes are plenty. This will allow excess water to drain out.
  2. Now decide how long you want your planter to hang and cut a piece of twine. Make sure you add two inches to each side of the length. At the rim of the can, glue one side of the twine, with two inches of twine hanging below the glue mark. Repeat on other side. Now take a long piece of twine and begin to wrap it around the rim, over the glued-down handle. Wrap it at least three times, gluing occasionally. Once that is finished, take the extra two inch piece, fold it up and tie it in a knot to the handle. Repeat on other side.
  3. For berries or flowers, cut really thin strips of felt in various colors. Roll them, gluing about every rotation until you have the size you want. For leaves, search online for printable leaf templates, and print them out on stiff paper. Then trace them on your felt and cut them out.
  4. Arrange your berries and leaves and hot-glue them to the can. Now plant your plant.