Saturday, March 26, 2022

Upcycled Coffee Can Wall Pocket



I grew up in Washington DC and now live about twenty-seven miles from there. This time of year it's all about the Cherry Blossom Festival!  Nothing signifies the arrival of spring in the nation's capital quite like the blooming of the cherry blossom trees and to honor American and Japanese cultures. The festival is basically promoting the beauty of nature and the international friendship between America and Japan. The festival runs between March 20th to April 17 with the peak blooms happening this week because of the warmer weather we've had earlier.

If you've never been here during this festival, you can't imagine how beautiful the cherry blossom trees look in person. 
Several months ago, I found cocktail napkins with a cherry blossom design at a Wegmans store. I had no idea what I would do with them, but I couldn't resist the pretty cherry blossoms pattern with a chinoiserie border:
And then, recently on a Mod Podge Face Book group I belong to, it seemed like everyone was on a smashed tin can decoupage project rage and kept sharing their creations. So naturally I decided to jump on the bandwagon for smashing and decoupaging my cherry blossom napkins on a tin can and to share it here with the Do It Over Designers!  

In
 case you don't know, the Do It Over Designers is a group of talented bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY, hosted by Anne @The Apple Street Cottage. It happens the 4th Saturday of every other month and it's all about taking something old and/or unused and 'doing it over' into something new. Anything from fabric, old dishes, and decor to dressers and hutches. Items found in closets, cabinets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it!

Here's how to make a upcycled Coffee Can Wall Pocket:
Supplies Needed:
  • Coffee can
  • Can opener
  • Quick Hold adhesive glue
  • Chalk paint/paint brush
  • Mod Podge (Matt)
  • Napkin
  • Drill
  • Clothes hanger
  • Wire Cutters
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Cherry Blossom faux florals

Disclosure I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! The affiliate money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

How to:
I started with a clean, empty 48 oz. coffee can and .  .  .

removed the bottom and label which came off very easily. 
Then, I placed the can on my rug and stood on the bottom edge to press or smash it together.

Next, I added Quick Hold adhesive between the bottom edges to keep the edges together, creating a pocket. Fyi, hot glue doesn't hold the bottom edges together.
Then, I painted a couple of coats of white chalk paint on the pocket, and let dry between coats.
Next, drilled holes on each side of the pocket for hanging.

To decoupage the napkin on the pocket, I opened the napkin and removed the plain ply layer from the printed one. To do this, lightly touch a bit of Mod Podge with forefinger and thumb. Then gently tap the edge of the napkin to separate the layers.

Next, lightly coat the pocket with Mod Podge in sections, starting at the bottom
and applying the border and portion of the napkin to the mod podged pocket.

Use clear plastic (I cut up plastic baggies) to help smooth out any wrinkles being careful not to lift the napkin. Paper napkin patterns are very delicate once the white backing layers are removed.  Using clear plastic helps with the adherence and is less messy than the usual technique of applying mod podge first, and smoothing out the material  with a brush. Continue applying mod podge and the rest of the napkin - smoothing out with plastic until the entire pocket is covered. Let dry. 

Once completely dry, add another layer of Mod Podge to seal. Then cut off the straight wire bottom of a wire clothes hanger leaving a one inch portion of curve at the hanger sides for the handle. Attach to the pocket. Use needle nose pliers to curve the wire inside to keep from pulling out. A layer of varnish can also be applied to seal the finish.

How adorable is this!

Place cherry blossom florals in the pocket to complete the look!

Be sure to check out all of the 'Do It Over Designers' listed below to see their lovely "do overs," too! 

Purple Hues & Me

Birdz of a Feather

Unique Creations by Anita

Interior Frugalista

Sum of Their Stories

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Little Vintage Cottage

Modern on Monticello

Pandora’s Box






17 comments:

  1. Wow that cherry blossom is just the prettiest pattern Gail! We are so far off seeing cherry blossoms here; we're hunkering down for more off season winter weather!

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    1. Thanks Sara! The weather here has been crazy here, too. Last week it was in the seventies! Today, they're predicting snow in some parts!

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  2. This is darling! Wouldnt this be a cute May Day gift to leave on a friends door knob? My daughter lived in VA, very close to DC for a brief time, but we didnt get to see the cherry blossoms - some day!!

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    1. Thanks, Patti! Yes, that sounds lovely as a gift. I have it hanging on a door knob right now and that's a great idea! So many ways to use it!

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  3. Absolutely adorable, Gail. The colors are perfect and I never would've guessed there was a can hiding underneath all those flowers!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kim! I know! Whoever thought of smashing cans had the best idea! So many ways to use them!

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  4. When I started reading your post I thought, "how did she find such a beautiful tin can" because you'd never know it is decoupaged with a napkin. So pretty, Gail! Sadly there isn't a cherry blossom to be had where I live and as I type this there is a winter snowstorm brewing outside.

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  5. Thanks, Marie! I love to decoupage! So many different ways to create things. And the weather is crazy everywhere. Just when we think spring weather is here to stay, Mother Nature has other plans!

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  6. Absolutely beautiful, Gail, and you know how I love decoupage! Somehow, I'm envisioning a grouping of them in different sizes on a wall. Love it!

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    1. Thanks, Ann! Yes, a group would look amazing on a wall! Miss seeing you this month and hope things are getting better with your son! Thanks for continuing to organize and host this! I really love it!

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  7. Oh good grief! This is ridiculously pretty and clever and lovely!
    I've been using your plastic bag technique for decoupaging napkins for a while now, it's such a great tip.

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  8. That's cute Gail!! A true trash to treasure!

    Tania

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  9. This is so clever and pretty to boot when you know it is a recycled can. Brilliant job.

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  10. This is adorable and so creative! Thanks for sharing Happiness is Homemade (& Crafty Creators if you already have)!
    XOXO,
    Niki ~ Life as a LEO Wife

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  11. Gail... such a lovely and smart spring project! Love the print you used, and the flowers you added! Perfect for any spring home! Pinned, and I'm excited to be featuring your post at Tuesday Turn About!

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