Article courtesy Scrapjazz.com; by Tiffany Roberts

In an effort to be both thrifty and green I've started to recycle some of my common household items into altered scrapbook containers.

Here are a few of my recent pieces before I transformed them. These projects are great for kids' groups such as scouting packs , or as a fun and fast craft project for a birthday party. You want to make sure you clean all food containers very well and let them dry completely before using them. Be sure to double check for any sharp edges before you start your project. Just to be safe I like to use pliers to crimp all around the metal edge, and then follow up with heavy-grit sandpaper prior to use.

 

1_119

 

2_87Cashew Container:

This simple project uses a 3 ½"-tall nut container I simply ran my patterned papers through the Xyron machine and adhered them to the outside of the container. Don't forget to pretty up that lid a little bit! You can even add a small knob from the hardware store.

My container is going to be used to hold doggy treats for my two pugs. This would be a sweet little gift for someone with a new puppy.

Supplies:

3_69Potato Chip Tube Container:

These are very fun! They are great for mailing small gifts, holding stamping wheels, or storing other embellishments in your scrapbook area. You can also alter the smaller-sized tubes to give away as party favors or hostess gifts. The finished product was made by Mimi Russell.

Supplies:

  • adhesive - Xyron
  • patterned paper - Chatterbox
  • ribbon - Stampin' Up
  • decorative-edged scissors - Fiskars

4_54Small Sausage Tin Container:

This smaller tin is perfect to use as a tealight holder. A whole line of these in a patriotic theme would look very festive on an outdoor patio table for the Fourth of July! You could also use this smaller container to hold paperclips or a roll of postage stamps on your desk. I plan on using several of these tins to create a tiddlywinks-type game for my toddler

Supplies:

  • adhesive - Xyron
  • patterned paper - Die Cuts With a View
  • sticker - Bazzill Chip Toppers, Kids
  • rick rack - Doodlebug Designs

5_36Peppermint Sliding Tin Container:

This is a great, smaller-sized tin and I already loved the blue and black color scheme. I decided to create a simple design for the top and bottom to hide all of the writing and nutritional information. This little tin holds a folded-up $20.00 bill for my daughter. I'll attach it to her birthday gift using the ribbon on the end.

You could also create a little theme album to go inside, hand-made certificates or tickets to turn in for dinner out or a movie date, or even the names and number of all your neighbors and give it to someone who just moved to your neighborhood as a welcome gift.

Supplies:

It's amazing how many fantastic containers head to the trash or recycle bins every day. With a little creativity you can reuse these items and craft them into personal, fun, and funky containers to use as gifts, home and officer organizers, or fun games for the kids.

 

6_28

 

Don't forget to share your creations with us in the gallery; we always look forward to seeing what you're working on!

 

Check out our altered art gallery at Scrapbook.com