They say it’s the little things in life that make a huge difference – and when it comes to kids, sometimes the biggest forms of entertainment is by repurposing just the smallest items. Whether it’s turning some stacked boxes into a mini fortress or making music with glass bottles topped up with different levels of water, upcycling household goods into imaginative toys is even more fun than the upcycled end result!
One item that boasts a plethora of different purposes is the tin can – originally used to store foods, when recycled, can be used for any number of functions. So the next time you’re looking to keep the kids entertained on a rainy day, check out these child (and pocket) friendly upcycling suggestions:
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Tin can wind chimes. Who would have thought that the sound of tin cans would be music to your ears? When fashioned into makeshift wind chimes, tin cans make the perfect impromptu orchestra! The beauty of this project is you can use tin cans of all shapes and sizes – simply coat with your chosen paint colours, add your own personal touch (glitter is a popular option). Next, once the paint has dried, punch holes in the bottom of the tin cans, string some yarn through the holes and tie two washers onto the end of the string in the tin cans.
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Tin can snowman. Ensure any labels are removed from your tin cans, then slap on some white paint – and for a snowy feel, glue on some white toilet paper and snow flake decorations (with white glitter for some added sparkle). Stick on a couple of small black pom poms for the eyes, an orange pom pom for the nose, then a red pipe cleaner for the mouth with magnets on each end so they hold onto the tin. So the next time your kids sing, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” you can answer with “Do you wanna build a ‘tin can’ snowman?”!
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Painted tin can drums. You’ve had your tin can wind chimes, now add some percussion with your tin can drums. For this particular project, repurpose some old paint cans (or anything tin shaped so long as there are no serrated edges) then paint away – or create your own patterns by adding some masking tape triangles. If your kid’s choosing the colours, you’re best sticking with two primary colours maximum (otherwise using as many colours as possible results in a murky, less-than-impressive shade).
Want some inventive colour schemes to really bring your children’s upcycled tin can creations to life? Complement your home’s colours with your kid’s crafts with our colour guides – order online now, and make a house a home with our inspiration gallery today!