Luminaries can be made by cutting holes in cans for the light from a small candle to shine through. Fill a tin can with water and place in the freezer. Once frozen, draw a simple design or pattern on the can with a marker. Place the frozen can on a towel to catch the drips as the ice melts and to help hold the can in place. Use a hammer and nail to punch the outline of your design, or to follow the pattern that is drawn on the can. Allow all the ice to melt. Dry completely. Spray paint in appropriate colors for the design you have made. Pour two inches of sand into the bottom. Place a votive candle inside and light. The luminaries make nice Halloween or Christmas decorations.
Aluminum is a thin metal that can be cut with shears. Use cans to create metal wall art by carefully cutting the top and bottom off a can. Then cut the can up the side and flatten. Use this piece of thin metal to make your sculptures. Trace a shape on the flattened metal; a fish, butterfly, bird or gecko are all possible choices. Paint with metal paint and seal with shellac.The metal wall art is ready to hang. Make several of the same animal shape to place in a pattern on the wall.
Create a tin can scarecrow to place in your garden, or use it as a wind chime. Collect several tin cans. You will need approximately four cans for the legs, three for the arms and one for the neck. Use a coffee can for the body and a spaghetti sauce or tomato can for the head. Poke holes in the cans with a sharp object and then use wire to attach the cans to each other. Feet and hands can be made with small tomato paste cans attached at an angle to the legs and arms. Use a length of fishing line to hang the scarecrow in your garden.