Don't Throw Out Soda Cans Before Trying These 17 DIYs

Old soda and beer cans can be a great source of materials for recycling, upcycling, and other eco-friendly projects. If you find yourself with a million discarded cans every trash cycle, you may be wondering if there is anything else you can do with them in terms of both décor and necessary home improvements around the house. Well, there is. Soda cans are a household item you can repurpose into unique DIY home décor, storage containers, and so many other distinctive items.  

Not only are these projects very eco-friendly and keep the cans out of landfills, but most of them you can do for almost free, requiring only a few things like glue or paint to make these fun DIYs happen. Cans are typically made from a durable material that is both water and heat-resistant, making them great not only for indoor décor but also for things that will be outside.

Turn a can into a trinket box simply by removing the top of the can and adding some paint or other accents to decorate the outside. These make great little containers for keeping things in your car since they will fit snugly in your cup holders and can be a perfect place to stash small items like sewing kits, hair ties, and other small collections of objects. Glue on a small object to serve as a handle for the lid. 

Use some sturdy scissors or tin snips to create gorgeous aluminum flowers that you can use for all sorts of purposes, from putting them in vase arrangements to adding accents to other decor like wreaths and centerpiece arrangements. They also make stunning garden decor when driven into the ground or included as part of a planter box. Leave them as they are in their natural finish for a rustic look, or add some paint or other decorative objects like crystals or beading. 

Add some soil or pebbles to a tin and use it as a small planter. It's great for starting seedlings or housing small growing plants like air plants or succulents. Just remove the top of the can and poke a few holes in the bottom for proper drainage. You can leave the cans in their natural state or add some spray or acrylic paint to match your decor. For a fun organic planter, wrap the can in jute or cotton twine to add texture.

Add some cans with their tops removed to a magnetic strip if you want to house small bits of hardware like nails, screws, and washers. You can leave the cans intact or cut them in half to make smaller, shallower containers. You can also use this storage system anywhere you need to organize small objects, like above a desk or near a bathroom vanity. Paint them or decoupage the cans for an adorable way to store jewelry or hair accessories on the wall. 

Create stunning wall art by cutting pieces of metal from soda cans and shaping them into images like animals and landscapes. Use small nails or hot glue to adhere the pieces to a flat segment of wood. The colors of the cans will help dictate the overall layout of your piece, or you can paint the cans before or after to match the image. You can also bend and shape can pieces into three-dimensional sculptures and mobile arrangements. Or use them as a decorative frame for a mirror. 

Create a fun votive candle or tea light holder lantern by cutting a can along the sides and pressing downward, creating a lantern with splayed sides. You can place it on a table as part of a cute centerpiece surrounded by flowers, or use wire or fishing line to hang it outdoors to light up your yard at night. Leave it natural or paint it one or two colors with spray paint. You can also use solar or LED lights for more permanent outdoor lighting that looks great when hung from a porch or trees. 

Trim your can metal into fun shapes like butterflies, stars, and hearts to create pretty aluminum accents for scrapbooks and home journaling pages. Keep a stash in your craft room for future projects. They also make adorable handmade card accents and gift wrapping toppers that can be kept and treasured by the recipient. Other great spots include the corners of the photo and art frames to add some depth and dimension. Or, add them to vases, bowls, and other objects that need some additional charm. 

Cut tin cans into cute Christmas ornaments using the flattened aluminum. Great options include making festive shapes like stars, globes, bells, as well as circular snowmen, Santa faces, and reindeer cutouts. You can also make strips into a paper chain-style tree garland or string aluminum stars or snowflake shapes on a piece of string or wire to wrap around your tree. You could also punch holes into the center to string your twinkle lights through the garland for a little extra sparkle. You can also make ornaments from assembled pull tabs.

Use cans to help organize your collection of art supplies like pencils, brushes, and markers. Paint the outside of the can in pretty colors or novelty characters, remove the top, and fill with supplies. This not only keeps them organized and ready, but it can be cheaper than other kinds of art supply organizers. Or try turning several of them on their side and gluing several together for an all-in-one caddy you can fill with your entire set of colors.

Use strips of aluminum cans to shape cookie forms that are great, budget-friendly alternatives to expensive cookie-cutter sets you can buy from retailers. Shape them into fun shapes like stars or hearts and secure the ends with hot glue to hold them in place. Create holiday shapes like snowmen by gluing three circles together. Or create custom cookie cutters shaped like your pets. You can also make new ones each year, meaning you don't have to find a spot to store them the rest of the year. 

Cut flattened pieces of aluminum cans into triangular pieces and use a hole punch to create holes in the corners. String twine or wire between the pieces for a reusable garland that will last indoors or out. Hang it along a fence or wall to create festive decor for entertaining or everyday. It also looks adorable outside when hung along the eaves of a porch to welcome guests. Leave it in the original colors or add some paint.

Flatten the metal of the can to make fun coasters for your home. Cut them into fun shapes like circles, hearts, or stars, and place them under your drinks to protect the table. Add some felt or cork to the back of the coasters to make them non-slip when resting on the table. Or, for thicker coasters, add the can segments to wood rounds or square wood tiles with some adhesive. You can even coordinate colors to make seasonal coasters in red, green, and white for the holiday season.

Soda cans with removed tops can make perfect containers for handmade candles. Just pour in some melted wax and add a wick. The aluminum is naturally fireproof and resistant. This is a great trick for making citronella wax candles for outdoor spaces in summertime to repel insects. Use full cans or half cans and carry a few with you for picnic days and impromptu camping expeditions. You can even add scented oils and tints made specifically for candle wax to add some color. 

Create an easy windchime by hanging several full cans from a piece of wood and twine, allowing the wind to knock them together. Or use tin cutouts in shapes like circles, stars, and butterflies to create more decorative and sculptural wind chimes. Punch small holes to add wire or fishing line to string them together. You can also mix cans or aluminum pieces together with other upcycled items like old silverware to get more complex sounds when the chime is moving. 

Cut a can into vertical strips attached at the very bottom and splay them out, leaving the bottom of the can recess intact. Fan the strips out into a ledge for birds to land on, ensuring that the can edges aren't sharp. Add some seed in the center to make an adorable, inexpensive bird feeder that you can sit on a table or stump to feed the local wildlife. You can also add some holes and a small chain to hold it aloft outdoors. The colorful metal can make these feeders extra attractive to some species of birds. 

Remove the top of a soda can and add some water to make a great, casual, and impromptu vase with a lot of character. You can decorate it to fit your decor with paint, decoupage, or other fun ideas like wrapped twine or fabric stuck to the side using a spray adhesive. Add accents like ribbon, trim, or beading around the top for some extra interest. These little vases make great inexpensive centerpieces for a fun tablescape idea that can be used again and again or disposed of when you are done.

Cut pieces of can into fun shapes and assemble them with hot glue around a wire wreath from a craft store. Great options include flowers, stars, and hearts which you can layer around the wreath randomly or in layers of color, like red white and blue for the 4th of July or red and green for the holidays. You can also use entirely intact cans combined with other elements. This can be a fun gift for your favorite beer lover.