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In a day and age where recycling should be encouraged, you don’t have to throw away those empty popcorn tins once you are done with them. You can recycle them and turn the empty tins into awesome pieces that you and your family can enjoy. As such, we have a list of the things that you can do with empty popcorn tins.
Here are 17 things you can do with empty popcorn tins:
- Snack Storage
- Pantry Storage Container
- Cat/Dog Food Storage
- Time Capsule
- Trash Bin
- Charcoal Storage
- DIY Outdoor Stove
- Ottoman
- Bathroom Organizer
- Gift Box
- Baking Pan
- Lampshade
- Toy Storage
- Flower Centerpiece
- Toy Drums
- Plant Pot
- Craft Supply Container
Let us explore a little more in depth on each of these ideas. Eating popcorn does not need to be the only fun thing you get out of these popcorn tins.
1. Snack Storage
The first thing that you can do with an empty popcorn tin is to trade out one snack for another. Yes, that’s right, you can use the empty tin to store other snacks to prolong the freshness, especially if you can’t finish an entire bag in one sitting. A good example is a bag of potato chips.
You can redecorate the tin can by painting it or by covering it with colored paper. From there, you can add a label depending on what you are going to put inside the tin. Paper labels can work well but you can also write directly on the tin can with certain types of markers.
2. Pantry Storage Container
No need for you to buy expensive pantry storage containers when you can simply use your empty popcorn tin to do the job for you. You will be able to save money while also reducing your carbon footprint.
Similar to the way you decorated the tin can as a snack container, you can simply paint it or use colored paper to decorate it as a pantry storage container. From there, you should label it based on what you are going to use it for.
3. Cat/Dog Food Storage
You don’t want your cat or dog food lying around in a plastic bag, ruining your home’s aesthetics. At the same time, some plastics may not be safe for food storage if you are using a plastic container.
You can repurpose an old popcorn tin into a container to store your cat or dog food. That way, you will have a sturdy and reliable way to store dry cat or dog food, without compromising the food’s freshness. Again, all you need to do is to paint the tin can and then label it as a container for kitty or doggy food.
4. Time Capsule
Departing from the theme of using empty popcorn tin cans as a container for food, you can also use it to build a time capsule for yourself or others because the tin can last for a very long time when buried.
First, paint the tin can whatever color you want. From there, you can decorate it by adding a photo of yourself or by using creative ways to label it as your time capsule. All you need to do now is to place the objects that you want to dig up in the future inside the tin can and then bury it in your backyard.
5. Trash Bin
If you have a popcorn tin can that is extra-large, you can use it as a trash bin for use anywhere in the house. You can even use a smaller tin can as a trash can for your car or for your table in your office.
To make the trash bin a bit more appealing to the eyes, we recommend that you wrap some rope around it to give it a rustic look and hide the fact that it is actually a trash can.
6. Charcoal Storage
You should always store charcoal somewhere that is cool and dry because you don’t want it to get wet or compromised as far as its ability to light up is concerned. To achieve this, you can keep your charcoal in an old popcorn tin can.
Again, repainting the can is a good idea but make sure that you do so in a creative way that will express that it is a charcoal storage can. You may want to paint it black or grey depending on the style you want to use. Of course, label it accordingly after redecorating or repainting it.
7. DIY Outdoor Stove
Along with using your old popcorn tin can as storage for your charcoal, you can also use a bigger tin can as an outdoor stove. That’s because tin can hold heat pretty well and can serve as a way for you to cook your food outdoors, using charcoal or wood chips.
To get started, cut a hole in the side of the can and then add a smaller tin can that fits snuggly under the hole. From there, add the charcoal through the hole and then light it up when you are grilling outdoors. Make sure that there is a grill on top of the tin can when you are cooking with it.
8. Ottoman
One of the most creative ways that you can reuse your old popcorn tin cans (especially the bigger ones) is to repurpose them into ottomans that you can use for storage and decorative pieces at home. You can even use ottomans as footstools whenever you just want to lounge around in your living room.
The key to this project is to make the can as comfortable as possible by wrapping it with knitted yarn. Make sure that you use a thicker type of yarn for the lid so that you won’t even feel that you are resting your feet on a tin can.
9. Bathroom Organizer
Turning popcorn tin cans into a bathroom organizer works well if you have two more tin cans that are of different sizes because the bigger one will act as the base, while the smaller one/s will be the extra compartments on top.
To turn your popcorn cans into a bathroom organizer that you can use to store makeup, beauty products, and other things such as shampoo or condition, first you need to repaint the cans to the color of your preference. From there, stack one open can on top of the other open can such that the openings are aligned and facing the same direction. You can use superglue to keep it in place or screw them together.
10. Gift Box
Even though you can give a can of popcorn as a gift, an empty can of popcorn also works well as a gift box or as a container for your gift. This will make the gift look extra special because of the effort spent to decorate the container.
Paint and decorate the popcorn tin can to the color and style of your preference. From there, you can place your gift inside the can and then tie a ribbon to make it more stylish and special.
11. Baking Pan
When you look at your different baking trays, you will notice that they are also made from the same material as a tin can. If this is the case, why not use popcorn tin cans for baking so that you don’t have to buy baking pans?
The caveat here is that you should make sure that the popcorn tin can that you are using is as plain as possible and is not painted or decorated with anything that will burn, such as a label. As long as the can is paint-free, it is safe for you to bake a cake in it.
12. Lamp Shade
This is one of the more difficult DIY projects that you can do with an empty can of popcorn, but if you are able to pull it off, it will be a rewarding decorative piece that you can add to your living room or your bedroom.
If you already have a lamp at home, you can create an updated shade from a tin can by adding a primer to it so that the old design will be covered. From there, find a way to attach the bottom of the tin can to the top part of the lamp so that the tin can will serve as the shade for the lamp. Different lamps vary from one another so we can’t provide the exact details on how to use the can as a lampshade for your lamp.
13. Toy Storage
If you have kids at home, you will be able to make use of your empty popcorn tin cans as storage for their toys so that your kids don’t have to leave their toys lying around the house all the time.
All you need to do here is once again redecorate or repaint the tin cans depending on the favorite color of your kids. Label them as toy storage cans. You can even allow your kids to join in on the fun by giving them the opportunity to decorate and paint the cans themselves.
14. Flower Centerpiece
If you want to look a bit fancy and if you always have flowers at home, a good tin can could serve as a beautiful flower container to use as a centerpiece for your dining table. This should give your dining table a romantic look.
Again, just paint and decorate the tin can depending on the style you want to achieve. From there, it is ready to serve as a flower centerpiece by adding a few flowers and some water to keep the flowers fresh.
15. Toy Drums
What better way to teach your children how to love instruments than repurposing tin cans into toy drums? Tin cans can serve really well as drums, although they don’t exactly mimic the same sound that real drums make.
Repurposing a tin can into a toy drum is as simple as making it look like a real drum or a bongo. This means you may want to cover the lid with something soft enough for a child to strike with his hands without hurting himself. Yarn won’t do because it muffles the sound, but leatherette works well.
16. Plant Pot
If you have plants at home, you can use your extra tin cans as pots for your plants. This will give you the opportunity to redecorate the cans and to make them look like actual plant pots. Additionally, tin cans hold soil and moisture really well.
After redecorating the popcorn tin can, you may want to cut tiny holes near the base of the can for drainage. You want any excess water to flush out of those holes when you water your plants. From there, all you need to do now is to add soil to the can and then replant a plant or grow some seeds.
17. Craft Supply Container
This is quite common among Asian households and for grandmas all over the world as they often use any kind of tin can as a container for their craft and sewing supplies. You can use an empty popcorn tin can for the same purpose.
If you don’t want your kids to be fooled into thinking that the can contains popcorn, it might be best to repaint the can and label it appropriately before putting the craft and sewing supplies in it.
Send us a picture if you try any of these tips and we will put it online. Have fun!
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