Metal Can Lanterns

• Illuminate your garden with romantic tin can lanterns. After cleaning your empty tin can, fill it with water and freeze it. With a hammer and nail, poke holes in the frozen can to create a design. For a more controlled image, you may want to draw your design on a piece of paper, tape the paper to the can and poke holes following the lines of your design. After the can has thawed, place sand at the bottom and insert a tea candle or any candle that is shorter than the can. Light the candle and watch the light radiate through your metal can.
  
  

Herb Garden

• Line your window sill with handmade metal can planters.ULTRA F/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Make an herb garden using short tin cans. Clean the empty cans and poke holes in the bottoms with a hammer and nail. If you want to decorate your cans, paint them or cover them in fabric or strong paper. Line the bottom of the cans with pebbles, fill them with soil and plant your herb seeds. Brighten your kitchen by placing the finished planters along a window sill or on a counter. Just make sure to put something underneath them to collect excess water.
  
  

Metal Can Candles

• Make a container candle out of an old tea tin.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Small metal cans with interesting designs, like tea tins, can be made into lovely candles with a vintage flavor. Cut pieces of primed wick 1 to 2 inches longer than the height of your can. Using a hot glue gun, glue the base of the wick to the center of the can. Make a double boiler to heat the wax by placing a large tin can, like a coffee can, in a pot of water. Rather than buying blocks of wax from a craft store, make your own wax by melting old candles in the double boiler over medium heat. Let the wax melt to a liquid and pour into the tins. Let the candles cool overnight before lighting.
  
  

Other Uses

• Turn an empty paint can into a vase.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  With a little decoration, metal cans can be used as vases. If you like the appearance of the can, clean it, fill it with water and insert a few cut flowers. If the can needs embellishment, paint it or wrap it in craft paper or fabric scraps.
  
  Use your metal cans as storage containers for craft and office supplies. Decorate the cans as necessary and use them to organize your pencils, pens, crayons, paper scraps and any other small items that need sorting.