Here's another quick and easy holiday gift to make with your kids this year, or you may want to make this one yourself. This project is from my KinderKorner.com website, in the holiday unit called It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. If you have children and are looking for Christmas themed songs, poems, activities, and projects, be sure to check it out.
For this project, you need a clean metal can. Choose whatever can is the right size for your project: cans that held chili or veggies work great, as do brand new paint cans in a variety of sizes. Paint cans already have handles, and they also have a lid to seal the contents of your can, if desired. This Use your completed can -- small or large -- to hold an ornament, potpourri, homemade bath salts, a craft kit, cookies, or anything else you choose.
Instructions: Prime the can, if desired, then handpaint or spraypaint using craft paint designed for metal. After the base coat is dry, decorate the outside of the can by painting the design of your choice. If children are making the project, they can use stickers, decals, glue-on findings like buttons and rhinestones, etc. To add a handle to your can, simply punch two holes in opposite sides of the can, and make a handle from a wire hanger.
Your can could also be decoupaged with a variety of materials, including colored tissue paper, magazine pictures, photos, lace doilies, bits of fabric and ribbon, sheet music, or other ephemera. Another fun option is to decorate the can with a child's handprint. Here are samples of a penguin handprint and a Santa handprint.
I'd love to see photos of your finished projects, so please leave a comment if you post pics. Or send me your pics in an email -- writetovictoria AT aol.com -- and I'll post the pics to my blog for everyone to see.
Victoria
xoxo