How To Make Vintage Recycled Tin Cans Easily

Can tin cans be recycled? Oh, yes! They can be quite pretty, too. This technique gives a lovely shabby chic look and it’s easy to achieve.

Supplies Needed

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Empty Tin Cans
Black Paint and Primer in One Spray Paint
Wax or a Candle
White Acrylic Craft Paint
Paintbrush
Printed Vintage Pictures
Clear Spray Coating or Polyurethane Spray
Scissors or a Paper Cutter
Sandpaper

Paint The Recycled Tin Cans

How To Make Vintage Recycled Tin Cans Easily — Black Paint and Primer in one.

First, you need a clean empty tin can. Use paint and primer in one spray paint to make it easier. I have gloss paint, but a matte will work as well.

Paint the tin can black and allow it to dry. Remember that it’s always best to spray several light coats and let the item dry between coats versus one heavy coat.

Use A Candle or Wax for a Resist

Rub an old candle or some candle wax on some of the ridges and edges of the can. The wax acts as a resist. The white acrylic paint won’t adhere to the black paint under the wax. When you do this, imagine how an old, distressed can might look. You’ll want to make sure to use the wax on some of the edges. I think I could have used a little more wax…

Paint The Can with White Acrylic Craft Paint

Paint with white acrylic paint.

Paint over the black paint with White Acrylic

Next, paint the can with white acrylic paint and allow it to dry between coats. In the end, this tin can has a total of 3 coats.

Then, use a paper towel to gently remove the wax. Don’t push too hard. You’ll remove the black paint, too.

Using fine sandpaper, rub here and there to create a distressed look. Don’t get too aggressive or you’ll take off the black paint, too. You can go back and use the sandpaper after the graphics have been glued and dried, too.

Vintage Pictures for the Tin Cans

Karen at The Graphics Fairy.com offers tons of vintage graphics that you can download for free. Most of the graphics I’ve used for these are from her website. I also keep an eye out for vintage cards when we go to flea markets or antique stores. It’s easy to scan those, clean them up a little on PicMonkey, enlarge or reduce them, and then, print them.

Spray the pictures with a clear polyurethane or clear protective spray before gluing them to the cans. We don’t want the colors bleeding. Then, cut out the pictures.

Spray with a clear coat .

Cut out each of the Vintage graphics.

Adhere Vintage Pictures to The Tin Cans

Apply Mod Podge To The Back Of The Graphics.

Press the graphic into the grooves of the can.

Use a paintbrush to apply glue to the entire backside of the vintage picture. Center on the can and rub with your fingers from the middle outward, pressing the paper into the grooves on the can.

Then, brush another coat of Mod Podge over the graphic.

Finish With A Ribbon Bow

This ribbon is from a little shop in San Francisco. I’ve had it for many years. It seems the perfect finish for the shabby chic can. It looks like drops of dye have been splattered onto a wet ribbon and allowed to dry. You can create the same effect by doing just that!

The ribbon is not perfectly wrapped on a reel, and I chose not to iron it. I like the crumpled messy effect. You may remember this ribbon is on the paper Mache bunny, too.