How to Decorate Empty Paint Cans

Question

Keep your decorating style green by repurposing old paint cans. You can turn these cans into delightful decorations by implementing one of the ideas you find here. The crafts are simple, easy to follow and achieve a look that works in any room in your home. Once you have finished decorating the cans you can arrange them on window sills, fireplace mantels or use them for more practical purposes in and around your home.

Answer 1

1
    Spray paint a base coat on your paint cans.
    Spread newspaper or a drop cloth onto a flat surface in a well ventilated area. Spray paint the cans with your favorite colors. Wait for the paint to dry and add a second coat.

    2
    Practice drawing a simple design on paper while waiting for the second coat of paint to dry. When you're confident that you can repeat the pattern on the cans, use a pencil to draw the picture on them. You may also opt to use a stencil.

    3
    Paint over the outline with craft paint, using various sized brushes. For example, paint a thick outline on one can and on another use a finer tipped paint brush for a narrower line. Allow the outline to dry and fill in your design with colors that compliment the base and outline.    

    4
    Paste wallpaper to the cans.
    Visit your local paint or wallpaper store to view wallpaper samples. Many stores will give you outdated wallpaper swatches or samples at no charge. Choose the patterns that fulfill your style requirements.

    5
    Measure the area around the paint cans and trace the measurements onto the wallpaper. Cut out the correct sizes and paste the wallpaper to the paint cans. Use a putty knife to tuck the edges of the wallpaper under the top and bottom lips of the cans. Use this technique on paint cans of varying size.

    6
    Line the cans with plastic to prevent rust or insert slightly smaller plastic vases into the cans. Fill the group of cans with fresh flowers and place on your table as a centerpiece arrangement.