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Four ways with cans


Make stilts, a game of toss, desk organiser and colourful drums.

4 exciting projects using tin cans

Create a game of toss
You will need: Tin cans of various sizes; masking tape; baking paper; Resene Smooth Surface Sealer; paint; scissors.

  1. Apply coat of Resene Smooth Surface Sealer and dry.
  2. Paint undercoat colour (we used white) and dry.
  3. Place several strips of tape on to paper until you have enough area to draw and cut the shape, carefully peel tape off the paper, apply to can.
  4. Paint top coat and numbers (more points on smaller tins).
  5. Use ping pong balls or beanie bags to play.

Design your own desk organiser
You will need: Cans; hot glue gun; pencils and/or crayons; hacksaw.

  1. Saw pencils/crayons to varying lengths (we taped several together before sawing).
  2. Glue pencils/crayons to outside of cans.

Make your own stilts
You will need: Two cans of the same size; two pieces cord or rope approx. 125cm each; two pieces pipe approx. 10cm each; tape; baking paper; Resene Smooth Surface Sealer; paint; drill (with bit same dimension as rope); scissors.

  1. Apply Resene Smooth Surface Sealer.
  2. Apply paint base coat (we used yellow).
  3. Place several strips of tape on to paper until you have enough area to draw and cut stars, carefully peel tape off the paper,
    apply to can.
  4. Paint top coat.
  5. Drill two holes on either side near closed end.
  6. Thread pipe onto rope (for handles), push through holes and knot end securely.

Make colourful drums
You will need: Cans; Resene Smooth Surface Sealer; paint; vinyl; coloured hair-ties/rubber bands; hot glue gun;pencil; dinner plate.

  1. Apply Resene Smooth Surface Sealer.
  2. Paint desired colour.
  3. Trace dinner plate, cut vinyl into circle.
  4. Cut evenly-shaped triangles around edge.
  5. Put glue around open end of can and place vinyl tightly over it.
  6. Secure with hair-ties/rubber bands.

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