decor

Winter can be a real doozy when you would like to simply be outside with hands in the dirt. But for those of you waiting out the winter resting period, here’s a fun craft to spruce up your space. This cute DIY “vintage” tea canister can be used to display those freshly cut camellia blooms from your yard or a small bouquet from the store. It’s also perfect for art supplies, utensils, or any other items that need a “space.” It’s easy enough to complete in just an afternoon, so it also makes a great last-minute gift! It’s super simple, and you’ll only need a computer, printer, canister, scissors, and Mod Podge. And since there’s some wait time while the Podge is drying, you can easily create this while you have other things going on.

Why make this? I recently read a new book from a fellow gardening blogger (look for a giveaway soon!), and she stressed the importance of beauty in gardening. We want our spaces to look nice, and there are some simple ways to do that using things we already have. While I can’t get out in the garden and add beauty in the winter (almost everything is dead!), I can start to think about how to use what I have to make my home more inviting. Enter the peanut canister and a free printable image!

Vintage Prints

You can google vintage prints or advertisements and find lots of images out there. But wanted to find images I actually had permission to use and were good quality. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon Touch the Wood. This furniture restoration company does beautiful work, and they offer FREE printable images for folks to use. These can be printed and transferred onto furniture, or used in any kind of paper application. Check out their site and be inspired by the beautiful pieces they’ve created!

I was able to snag this lovely Reynolds Tea advertisement to dress up my peanut canister, and I was so surprised at how easy the whole thing was. Let’s get started!

Supplies:

1 piece 8.5×11 card stock (I used kraft)

Mod Podge (and brush)

Empty canister or can (use a metal can if you want to place water and flowers directly in container)

ruler

pencil

printed image

The Steps:

1. Decide what print and canister you’d like to use. I used a peanut container, but if you want to put flowers and water directly in the canister, use an empty 28oz metal can. Print off your image in a size that will fit on your container. (I printed my image in a 5×8 size.)
2. Place canister on top of image, lining up the top of the paper with the top edge of your canister. (If your can has a rounded edge at the top and bottom, be sure to line your paper up with the bottom of this edge, since you’ll let that rounded edge show.) Begin marking where the bottom of the canister meets the paper. Do this in several places on the paper. 
3. Once you’ve made several marks along the paper, take off the can and use a ruler to draw a straight line through your marks. Cut along this line. (If you’d like your image centered top to bottom, then simply use the ruler to measure the height of your can and use that measurement to cut your paper to fit.) I knew I’d be using this for flowers that would spill over the top a bit, so the lower the image, the better. 
4. Prep your can by applying a small area of Mod Podge. (My canister was a little larger than my paper, so I took a small scrap piece of the kraft paper and attached it to the back side first.) Once you get the hang of it, coat your can in Mod Podge, then begin wrapping your paper around the can. 
5. Once the paper is on, use clothes pins to hold it in place while you Mod Podge over the paper. You can do this two ways: 1. Use a super thick layer of Mod Podge and create brush strokes that will be visible once it dries, or 2. use a thinner layer of Podge and apply 2 coats. I opted for #2. I allowed 20 minutes dry time in between coats, and I loved the results. 
6. Give your canister time to dry after your last coat. Don’t let your clothes pins stay on this whole time. As soon as you can, take them off, so they don’t stick to your paper. (This is experience talking here…) And that ruler comes in handy as a drying stick. Where the paper is gapping a bit, I simply went it with another coat of Podge and firmly pressed down. It sealed nicely. Let dry several hours. 
7. In the end you’ll have a container that can hold fresh flowers, art supplies, utensils, or just about anything. If you made your canister out of something with cardboard sides (like my peanut container) simply use a pint mason jar (or a juice glass) inside for fresh flowers that need water. 

Creating small spaces of beauty in your home doesn’t have to involve spending money. See what you have laying around! And if you can bring the beauty of the outdoors in, like whatever may be blooming in your yard, then all the better!

I’d love to know how you use what you already have to create beauty in your home. Happy Gardening!

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