6 New Uses for a Coffee Can

Clever ways to repurpose an everyday item.

1. Wine Rack

Use a can opener to remove the tops and the bottoms of multiple cans (here, 12). Spray-paint the outside of each. When they’re dry, glue them together with a strong adhesive (like Krazy Glue) in an artful, balanced way. (Binder clips can steady the cans until they’re dry.)

2. Votive Holder

Use a can piercer (the triangular end of a bottle opener) to punch holes in the sides of an empty can. Insert a votive and let the light shine through.

3. Paint Bucket

Pour that “Calypso Blue” in a can for slosh-free transport during touch-ups.

4. Plant Guards

Slide cans (with both ends removed) over garden seedlings to protect them from the elements.

5. Reader Tip: Puppy Trainer

Try filling a can with change and shaking it to distract your new puppy from mischief.
Elizabeth Callis, Nashville

6. Reader Tip: Twine Storage

Poke a hole in the plastic lid and run the twine end through to keep a ball tangle-free.
Marianne Koch, Athens, New York