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i have never been able to find many uses for tin cans but today made a pen holder out of one.

the only other thing i use them for is attached to string and strung across the veggie patch as a detterent.

can anyone else give me any ideas please as i hate throwing them out

1/ bird scarer
2/ pen & pencil holder
3/ toothpaste/toothbrush holder too

thanks maggie

4 use (washed ones!) as mini cake tins to make mini Christmas cakes as pressies.

Targets for air gunning in the back garden

red wrote:4 use (washed ones!) as mini cake tins to make mini Christmas cakes as pressies.

Wow Red that's a fab idea! Like that one a lot.

Wow - yeah this is a great idea, so good infact that i am going to do some mini cakes tomorrow.

wondered if it would work with other cake mixes, like sponge cake for instance.

any ideas
maggie

Only one way to find out Maggie, lets experiment!

My OH has just come up with another idea for this cooking in a tin thing. what about things like bread and butter pudding

maggie

I reckon if you grease it well it could be ok. I love B&B pud!

You can make those no cook chocolate/nut/biscuit things in them. Its something like you melt choc and butter and add crushed digestives and smallish nuts. Fill the tin and pop it in the freezer. Push the frozen stuff out from the bottom and slice as you go along. Hey presto nice round slices of yummy stuff!!

Also - if you pierce a hole in each side at the sealed end and then thread some string thru and leave a very long loop. you can make those mini stilt things for kids.

On a similar theme - pierce a hole in then end of two cans, put some string thru the holes - there you go cheap mobile phones!

Pierce a pattern in them with a hole punch and put a tea light in them as a table decoration (Anthea Turner has a lot to answer for!!)

With the catering size ones, pierce large holes along the bottom edge, fill with a fire lighter and charcoal and add a mesh top - instant BBQ! Apparently if you leave the mesh off you can put it into your BBQ and sure it as an accelerator

moulds for making candles from leftover scraps of finished candles

heating up anything hard to clean up or dangerous to use food pans. I made some new crayons from old scraps using tins to heat the wax cos then I could just throw them away or at least not worry to much aboutthem being spotless clean

planting small plants

Alternative packaging for posting off small items sold on online auction sites, is really good at protecting fragile items.

I've been chucking them out, too. Fortunately the only tins I buy (almost!) are cat food - and my cats seem to have gone off the tinned food!

OK, I do use the occasional tin of tomatoes. They just don't grow plentiful enough here in Scotland.

I use a tuna can as a doughnut cutter.

They're also good to carry worms in for fishing.

I've got one in a wooden holder as a feeding dish for the rabbits.

um... i hate to be obvious here... but...

15) paint the outside using old oddment tins of gloss paint, etc (suitable for metal) punch holes in the bottom and use as flower pots? catering size ones for bigger pots, obviously?

16) you could also punch 2 holes opposite each other at the top, fix a handle made of garden wire, and hang from trellis? make lots in bright colours and it would really brighten a wall!

Tally

Buy or borrow a copy of "The Fine Art of the Tin Can" by Bobby Hansson. ISBN no 1-887374-02-7.

Loads of fun ideas.

Zoe