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101 uses for tin cans

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:27 pm
by Boots
1. Plant pots
2. Seedling protectors
3. Bird Feeders
4. Dodgy Telephone
5. Slow release plant waterers in clay soils
6. Can-man bird scarers
7. Toothbrush/pen holders
8. Cookie cutter
9. Sorting screws, nails, odds & sods in shed

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 6:13 pm
by albert onglebod
drip catchers where you havent got a water butt
open out and cut strips,pop rivet together in fancy shapes as biscuit cutters

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:11 pm
by hedgewitch
Punch holes around the sides in a pretty pattern and pop a tea light inside for funky lanterns - they can hung up as well.

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:20 pm
by ina
13. Container for washing paint brushes in
14. Stick something over open top, turn round and make longish slit to use as piggy bank
15. Stand the legs of your bed each in one, fill cans with paraffin to deter bugs (read that somewhere as tip for bug-ridden countries)

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:50 pm
by Mandyz
16. Use in pot of boiling water to make your own candles.
17. Fill with dried peas,beans, etc for a musical shaker.
18. Half fill with rice for an incense holder.
19. Makeshift rolling pin.
20. Smooth-sided cans can be used as candle moulds.

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:00 am
by hedgewizard
21. Tie several onto a length of baling twine (ok, ok, or string) and attach to tripwire as makeshift burglar alarm. Also works if attached to henhouse door if you have lightfingered neighbours.

22. Rain gague

23. Use for two cans: If using lengths of guttering for bringing on salad seedlings in the greenhouse, support on board and raise one end an inch or so higher than the other. Place tin can on the ground under the low end. Water from the high end from tin can with a little hole in so that it drips slowly, and stop when you hear the *ping* *ping* *ping* of the first drips hit the can. I'm going to give this a try this summer. If the guttering is too long to use one tin can's worth of water you might use a 2L feeder (use 6 for 2L lemonade bottle in that thread)

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:47 am
by albert onglebod
24. A large coffee can with string attatched and painted around the sides would make a great Drum for a littl'un.
25.well washed out and dried with safe edges would make a hamster house.
26. two with lids would make those stilt pots(you can buy plastic ones in Early learning centre) if you add long string handles.The lids stop them from buckling.

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:17 pm
by Millymollymandy
27. Eat the contents :lol:

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:59 pm
by Shirley
28. tie several together with baler twine and attach to the rear bumper of a newlywed couple's car :mrgreen:

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:36 pm
by Boots
29. A billy - use wire to create handle and suspend over open fire or place on camping cooker to boil water for cuppas.

30. Tin cans were also used in World War one by our diggers, but I can't remember the name of the missiles they made with them and hurled from the trenches... AND... can't really think of a situation where one might actually need to reintroduce that use.... :roll:

...so will shut up now.. :oops:

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:05 pm
by albert onglebod
31.Tie a piece of string round rim,make holes in sides,fill with rags and set alight.Whirl around and around and then warm your hands up on it. My dad used to do this when he was a littl'un in about 1920.

(Ooh look,Im Tom Good...going up in the world)

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:45 pm
by wulf
32. Cutting your fingers

Not something you'd particularly want to do but I've done it enough times by accident that it probably warrants a mention! :oops:

Wulf

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:48 pm
by hedgewizard
33. Cookie cutter

34. Slug trap (with beer in)

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:21 am
by Shirley
35. get a magnetic strip and 'stick' some cans on it - you can get little lids for food cans too. Assuming they don't rust you could use to keep spices/herbs in.

Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 3:34 pm
by Boots
Sorry - another literacy lesson needed for Boots...

What is a water butt? This is the second thread I have seen that... what is it?

..Magnetic strip has me giggling too Shirlz. I can just see my kids flinging cans at the walls and cheering when they stick! Might be a good way to get them to put things back.