DIY Network

Cover It With Cans Put a new face on almost anything. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-410

What could be tougher — or more colorful?

Whether you're working with a table or a coaster, a doorstop or a whole door, it's easy to put a new face on furniture and accessories with flattened tin cans. B. Original host Michele Beschen shows how to bend the metal and attach it to the object of your choice in this fun how-to.

This project doesn't take any specialized tools, making it a great way to get started working with metal. Keep your eyes open at the grocery, specialty stores and even home improvement stores to find colorful cans for your projects.

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Cover It With Cans

Materials:

item to cover
colorful, flattened tin cans
heavy gloves
tin snips
carpenter's square or other sturdy straight edge
grease pencil
hammer
awl
tacks or nails

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Note: Check out Michele Beschen's "Tin Cans 101" for the best way to prepare cans for this project.

• Lay out the flattened cans and decide how to arrange them on the item. Use several identical cans for an organized look, or mix up the cans for a different effect.

• There usually is a heavy band along the top and bottom of the cans, where they attach to the lid. Use tin snips to cut off these bands so the metal will lay flat (figure A).

• Cut each flattened can into three fairly equal pieces. The smaller sizes are easier to work with.

• Lay out the tin and determine where it will need to crease to bend around the furniture or other item. Mark the position with a grease pencil, then fold the tin over a carpenter’s square or other sturdy straight edge (figure B).

• Secure the tin to the piece with tacks around the edges of the metal. Be sure to overlap each piece of tin with the previous one. Use a hammer and awl to make pilot holes in the metal before tapping in tacks; the nails should have sharp enough points to pierce the metal on their own.

• For another interesting look. create a tin mosaic across the piece (figure C). This is a great way to use up larger tin scraps from other projects. Secure the tin to your piece with nails or tacks installed around the edges and overlap each piece over the previous one.