Upcycled Christmas Card and Tin Can Ornament

4 Materials
$1
30 Minutes
Easy

After Christmas, I always hang onto the Christmas cards I receive to repurpose and craft with. Last year I used them to style a tray for Christmas (see here).


When putting up my Christmas decorations, I came across the old stack of Christmas cards I saved and decided to use them with a couple of tin cans to make a couple of last-minute Christmas ornaments for the tree.

I used sardine cans for this ornament. Sardines on toast is comfort food for me so I often have a couple of tins lying around.

The edges of the tin are sometimes a little sharp. I use a Ryobi power file to dull the edges. You can also do it by hand, but it will just take a little longer.

Next, solder the ring pull to the back of the tin. If you don't have a soldering iron just use a hot glue gun instead.

Next, I spray painted the cans a creamy white.

The next stage was my favorite one and a great one for the kids. Sift through your Christmas cards and cut out any small pictures, signs, and Christmas stuff you like the look off. Magazines are also a great source for images.

Cut out a background for each tin can ornament.

For one of the ornaments, I decided to add a door. You can download the doors from my blog, there are 6 to choose from.

Place the background into the ornament.

Then add anything else you might like, such as a mini Christmas tree.

Add other bits and pieces you have cut from the Christmas cards. Just stick them on with a bit of glue. I use a hot glue gun.


There are more photos on the blog including the other winter wonderland tin can ornament I made.

I think the door ornament would look great with a photo of a loved one behind the doors. I think I'll hunt out some photos of the kids or the dog and make an ornament with them behind a door.


I love making repurposed Christmas ornaments, check out the personalized cotton reel map ornaments I made.

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Claire at Pillarboxblue
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