It's the wrong season, but I found some they made snow people from. they riveted three cans together, cut a circle from cardboard riveted on another can for the top hat on the man. the girl was just three cans. painted them and dressed them. also have seen angels made from them, and why not fairy housed? lucky you to have so many to work with.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:145898}}

I haven't done this. I've thought about cutting the cans open and flattening them into basic sheets of metal. Enlarge some paper doll patterns and cut the pieces from the various cans. THen make fairies and other things with moveable parts from it. It could be ainted or dressed up however you like.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:145899}}

Vicki, one of my neighbors uses several different sizes of cans & makes pretty good looking tin men with them. Or you could make redneck wind chimes.
Don

Do you have a garden shed or work area? They would be great to organize tools and such. Intersperse the functional ones with cans of plants or flowers, or anything decorative.

This looks like a useful and fun project for large tin cans:

{{gwi:145901}}

You can also make birdhouses but THEY MUST BE HUNG IN THE SHADE or the babies get too hot.
GH-

Here is a link that might be useful: Boy Scout projects

...theres always wallpockets. or cut an entrance hole in the lid for the birds. and yes, find a shady spot....they do heat up in the sun.

Like painter chic said theres always wall pockets, but as to the paper dolls idea-
I collect and use cans in that manner for all sorts of things, cut them, pound them flat and make shapes with them.
Here, I made little birds to go in a bird cage, it is a nice tinkly windchine
{{gwi:145902}}
Here, at christmas time I made photo frames using the metal from flattened cans and the lids of other cans for the base, but you could easily do plant picks that quickly rust to a nice color
{{gwi:145903}}

Wacky! Those are awesome!!!

Wow!

Wacky, I can't believe you actually cut, pound down and make those shapes - Wow, what talent! Awesome work.

I love those birds....I bet that does sound pretty cool. I tried cutting tin once, it wasn't easy.

You have to have the right snips, left hand right hand and straight for each different curve, and realize its not paper, you have to kind of cut chunks out a bit at a time. Its not so hard once you see the trick. I had a great book from the library, written in the 70s by some lady who made the most beautiful things from tin cans. I cant remember the title.
The shame is, its hard to get good tin cans these days! everything is in plastic. Ever see bobby hansens "the fine art of the tin can"? All that lithograpghed tin, like kikkoman cans and stuff. Its tough to find these days.

Vicky, did you see your new forum member's post regarding her "Sheet Metal Frog" post - it's something you could do with the cans.

I found it! The book is called a beginners book of tincraft
by lucy sargent. amazon has several copies for like 2 bucks. it was pub in 1976.

In the past I made quite a few wall pockets. They were neat. I also found a site that showed how you take the top and bottom off of a can and then cut up the seam with tin snips. Bend the rough edges back so they're not rough and paint the can like a flag. I then used wire to hang mine. It used to just hang in the house like that but it's now attached to a grapevine wreath and hangs on the front door :)

You could use them as planters. If you like the rusty look, just leave them alone. Or you could paint them up. You can even sit another pot down in them to keep them around longer (watering the plants will be hard on them after awhile since they never really get to dry out).

I want a can just to be silly but I haven't found one yet! We have an area up in the woods that we've been clearing off and have a fire pit up there. I want to hang a sign that says OUTHOUSE on a tree and have the can up there like you used to see a lot of people use in the outhouse to hold toilet paper! LOL The boys may use it but it's really not that far of a walk to the house! LOL

A Tin Can Man ~ This is something I've always wanted to do. See site for picture: http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/pdfprojects/HL-202.pdf

SUPPLIES:
Awl or Ice Pick
 Heavy Wire or Clothes Hanger
 Wire Cutters
 2 - 1" Wood Screws
 1 - 1/2" Metal Screw with Nut
 2 - 1" Moveable Eyes
 32 oz. Coffee Can
 13 oz. Coffee Can
 20 oz. Fruit Pie Filling Can
 4 - 15 3/4 oz. Vegetable Cans
 2 - Sardine Cans
 4 Soft Drink Cans
 Krylon® Silver Spray Paint
 Acrylic Paint - Black, Red
 6" Funnel
DIRECTIONS:
1. Open tops of each can and remove contents. Drain cola cans. Spray all cans and funnel with silver paint. Spray funnel inside and out. Let dry completely.

2. With an awl or ice pick, punch holes in vegetable cans, each side, 1/2" from top and bottom. Punch holes in the cola cans, each side, 3-1/2" from the bottom. Turn vegetable cans upside down over the cola cans until the first set of holes on the vegetable can meet the holes on the cola can. Run a 3 3/4" piece of wire through both cans; bend ends of wire. You have just made the arms and legs.

3. Turn sardine cans with open side down (feet). Place each leg combo on the backside of a sardine can. Run wood screw from open side of sardine can through bottom of cola can to attach feet to leg.

4. Turn the 32 oz. coffee can (body) upside down and punch a hole in the center bottom. Punch holes on each side, top and bottom, 1/2" from edge. Punch holes in the fruit can (neck) 2-1/2" from the bottom on each side, and one hole in the center of the bottom. Set neck right side up on the body. Bolt together using a screw and nut.

5. Punch holes in the 13 oz. coffee can (head) in the center bottom and on each side 1 1/2" from the open end. Cut a 20" piece of wire, bend one end. Run up through can, leaving bent end inside can. Drop funnel (hat) upside down over wire and let slide down to rest on top of the head. Curl the top of the wire; this will prevent the wire from coming out and will also be your tin man's hanger. Place the head down over the neck until the holes meet. Run a 4 1/2" piece of wire through the holes; bend at both ends.

6. Place legs inside open end of body and attach a leg to each side of the body by running a 7" piece of wire through holes. Bend wires at the end. Arms are attached to the outside of the body with a 13" piece of wire. 7. Glue the eyes approximately 1-1/2" from the top of the head. Paint nose, mouth, and ears. Three 1" crcles (buttons) are painted on body. All are black. A red heart is painted on the left side of the chest.

©2005 Hobby Lobby¨ - The information in these instructions is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed, nor is freedom from any patent to be inferred. Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the application of information herein contained, Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. disclaims any liability for untoward results. Follow manufacturerÂs instructions in using paints and other materials, keeping them out of reach of children, since some may HL-202 be toxic, or otherwise cause injury.

I work at a nursing home , they saved me 12 of these cans.I put up a 4x4x8 tall wood pole, I apinted the pole and cans white.I went to my shop and cut circles to fit the tops and put 3 cans on the 4 sides and painted the wood lids red,green and orange and cut a hole for birds to enter.It is soooo cute & the birds love it and I have 12 bird houses on one pole that look like a traffic light.Love it. Sue

wow those cut outs are outstanding!!! I work in a kitchen at school and we have millions of cans. Mostly 5lb cans. We throw them in the recycle bin on a daily basis.....I might have to get that book so I can try something like that that is way to cool!!!!

You can hammer one end shut and use it as a little planter. I used to have some......they are really small, so it's hard to plant a lot of things. I used to put moss rose in mine. Here's a pic of one I found on another site.