Be Patriotic & Creative & Recycle your Baby Formula Cans

This looks easy enough, right? YES, IT TRULY IS! So, you must find out how I made it, right? Keep your eyes glued to see just how you can make the easiest little creative project to show your patriotism this Fourth of July holiday...or anytime, really!

Creatively Recycle your Baby Formula Can(s) -  D I Y Style

We Mommas really go through probably THOUSANDS of formula cans for our babies! (Even those mommies who breast feed sometimes have to supplement with cans, too! If not then I'm sure they have a mom friend who has a few cans laying about.) 

These overwhelming amounts of empty cans that I have been going through really just irked me to just throw away. I thought to myself - THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WE CAN DO WITH THESE CUTE LITTLE SILVER CANS (other than using them to store loose coins, ect.)- So, I began saving them rather than disposing of them until I could find the perfect uses for them. Yesterday, I was driving myself crazy because I hadn't even began on a 4th of July project. I stood up to make a bottle for my sweet Madeline and I was scooping the last two scoops out of her formula. WAH LAH, that was it! I held it in my hand and thought I would create something with this can in order to use today for the holiday. 

Also, I was visiting with my mom at her house at this time so my crafty materials, tools, ect. were not there to use. With that, I eyed her kitchen, her craft spot and found a few things. ( A few PERFECT things might I add..) = {)

To make this project this is I needed:

• An Empty & Clean Can of baby formula (the round cylinder is ideal- I believe some formula comes in plastic now, ect.)
•  1 WHITE & BLUE  piece of construction paper OR card stock 
• Colored Tissue Paper- I used RED & BLUE for this occasion, obviously =)
• Any kind of paint brush- I used a big Sponge brush
• A ruler (if you are not great with drawing/cutting straight lines)
• Scissors
• Mod Podge (I'm sure glue would work, but I'm a Mod Podge gal for all things)
• Raffia (not necessary, but I added it for a touch of country for the bottom)
• A pretty flower or two with some dirt! :) I took two small ones out of a potted arrangement my mom had- you don't even miss it with them being gone!

With These few 'around the house' items will create THIS: (without pretty flower)

Steps to make this EASY & a tad primitive can/pot

1. Find your (or someone's) empty baby formula can. Tear the label off to where you have the complete silver showing.
2. Take your white construction or card stock paper and wrap your can with the paper. It will not fit perfectly around it, so mark the spot on the paper  where you need to cut (in line with the bottom of the can edge).
3. Take your ruler and lay it completely straight right on that mark and draw yourself a line straight across. Get your scissors and just cut that line! Easy, right? It gets even more Easy!
4. Fit your paper around the entire cylinder to make sure it fits properly and will go all the way around it. 
5.  Pour just enough Mod Podge or glue into a plate ( I used a paper plates for easy clean up) Have a surface that you don't care to get glue on to lay your paper down flat on. Take your brush and brush on your MP or glue evenly from tip top to each tip on bottom.
6. QUICKLY pick up your paper and gently press it on from left to right until you have covered your entire cylinder with it. Then, rub it through and press firmly so that it STICKS! =)
7. NOW, take your ruler and lay it flat on your red tissue paper. Basically trace around the ruler with pencil. Then cut that out. You will be left with a long & wide strip. (Do this again so that you will have 2 strips. 
8. Take each of your 2 red strips and simply cut each of them in half (long ways) so that you will have 4 skinnier long strips. Start from the top and mod podge or glue strip. Then,go down a thumb print down and apply the next strip. Do this until you have your red & white stripes. ( I only needed 3 of the strips.) 
9. Next, lets make your star! You can find a star stencil, but i just free handed mine. I drew a star that fit perfect on the can onto blue construction paper.Cut it out. Then, I traced that star onto 2 pieces of blue tissue paper. I cut them out. 
10. Okay, Almost finished! Now mod podge/glue both of your tissue star cutouts onto the construction paper star. ( I used 2 tissue blue so that I would get that blue color-) Now, apply your MP/glue to your star & apply where you would like on top of your stripes. Press it firmly on all corners & center. I then sealed the entire can with mod podge, which really gave it the near primitive look I was after, ( along with securing it all down-)
11. If you would like to add a primitive touch to it you can add raffia to the bottom like I did. I actually found a bunch of it in my mom's yard sale box. (I think it was a hula skirt, lol) I literally pulled 9 long pieces off of it, I braided 3 pieces at a time- ending with 3 braids of raffia. I braided those 3 braids into one braid to get the look I wanted. I mod podged it right on the bottom and it looked AWESOME! 

ALMOST FINISHED...

Now, how will we use this ever so CREATIVE primitive little project:

Wouldn't this be perfect for your picnic table on the 4th to hold  all of  your spoons, fork, napkins, ect?
But, I decided to make a perfect pot for pretty flowers! Yay-

So, there are no more steps to follow here except to find your fave flower(S) & some dirt and  you have a patriotic flower pot! Easy Peasy, Super fast, Super inexpensive & you are recycling! You can't beat that, right? =) I literally took one root of pretty white petunias out of a huge pot my mom had on her patio! LOL! Thanks, Mom! =)

You don't have to pot a flower, but there are limitless ideas....

I thought I'd share a few:

• A perfect Sparkler (put out pot) When you are finished with your sparkler don't litter- just toss in the pot!  (Or a Sparkler Holder, maybe...)
• Like the caption mentioned- You could put your picnic ware in these- napkins, flatware, mints, ect. for your 4th Picnic!
• You could bring this potted flower to your host/hostess who's throwing the Independence Day Party or holding a fireworks display viewing at their home! (I WILL BE DOING THIS- check!)
• Since this is sooo easy- you could have a Kiddo's 4th of July get together & have this as a craft- allowing them to be creative in decorating  their stars & stripes.  After they are done you could fill it up with candy, treats or ice cream! (or their used sparklers-)
• A potted flower is always just a good gift for a grandparent, parent, friend, ect. for the holiday that we celebrate our Country's Freedom! This would be an exceptional & much appreciated gift to bring to a VA hospital to show your respects even! 

Ideas are limitless!!!

Happy Fourth of July Everyone! Be Safe & Enjoy the Beautiful Fireworks this weekend!

Stay Tuned for more Real Cool DIY ideas for recycling formula cans & much more creative projects!

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