Clear acrylic paint cans are blank canvases that you can easily decorate for your daughter. After decorating it, you can put a gift for your daughter inside to create two gifts in one and she can use the can as a decorative storage container in her room. From creating a landscape painting to using scraps of paper, several crafty methods can transform a clear acrylic paint can into a stylish, custom-made item that's far from boring.
1 Recycle junk paper. Use a paper shredder or your hands to rip a large amount of unimportant papers, such as junk mail, into the smallest pieces possible. Put the paper in a plastic bag. Using a foam brush, put a layer of clear craft sealant on the entire outside surface of the acrylic paint can. Before it dries, put it in the bag and roll it around so the shreddings stick to it. Take the can out, spray the outside of it with spray adhesive, then put it back in the bag and roll it around so more shreddings stick on. When you remove the can, lightly press the paper onto the can, coat it again with spray adhesive, then give it time to dry. The outside of the can will then be a 3-D textured surface.
2 Create a landscape painting. If you are talented with painting free-hand, use various colors of acrylic paint and several sizes of paint brushes to do a painting of a landscape around the entire outside of the can. There are several options for what environment to paint, including a beach, forest or desert, depending on what your daughter prefers.
3 Make a glittery can. Purchase your daughter's two favorite colors of glitter, such as black and red, and mix them together in a cup. Using a foam brush, apply craft sealant onto the entire outside of the can, then dump the glitter mix over it. Roll the can over the newspaper you're working on to pick up extra glitter and help whatever is already on there to stick on better. Use spray adhesive over the outside of the can and give it ample time to dry.
4 Spell out her name in stars. Use a single color of paint to cover the outside of the can, then give it at least a full day to dry. Purchase mini glow-in-the-dark stars, then use them to spell out your daughter's name on the can. They are typically self-adhesive, but use a drop of craft glue to make sure each one will stay on.
5 Make a butterfly can. Use craft glue to adhere flowered fabric or scrapbook paper to the entire outside of the can. If your daughter has a favorite flower, try to find material that depicts that type. Purchase 3-D butterflies from a craft store, apply a few dots of craft glue to the bottom of each one, then stick them haphazardly onto the can.
