Well, Summer is in full swing here now. Kids are home all day and we are enjoying the more relaxed schedules. I am heading out tomorrow to attend the annual MDA Summer Camp I have been involved with for several years. I shared a little bit of my experience with the camp last year here. I have been a volunteer camp counselor (group leader) over a group of kids with Muscular Dystrophy and their volunteer helpers. We basically are there to get them where they need to be and doing what they should be doing while having fun the entire week. I LOVE it! So I am busy getting my family ready for Grandma to come and spend the week with them and watch them while I am at camp! I am hoping to pop in occasionally and share some pictures with you from the camp.
But today I have a new little project for those of you who drink your beverages out of a can or know someone who does. These will also be a great gift idea for Father’s Day…Soda Can Coasters.
Yes…that is my favorite drink of choice…that I no longer drink…Boo! Getting to old to be drinking my calories! But I can still enjoy looking at it when I place my ice water on my lovely new coasters!
Simply empty out some cans of your choice and rinse them out with water. Then take some tin snips and very carefully cut off the top and bottom of the can. This can be a bit tricky. **But be very careful as these cans are super sharp!!!! I suggest wearing garden gloves while cutting to help give you extra protection. I reenacted these photos because the gloves were not so pretty in the pictures…cause we all know how important that it! Be sure to save as much of the flat part of the side of the can so that you can get a nice size square for your coasters. Then cut down the seam of the can. Most cans will have a definite seam on the side…usually by the ingredient list.
Then I took some Silicone and put a good amount on the back of the square. I then attached them to some simple white tiles that measured 4 by 4 inches. I found them at Home Depot in the tile aisle and I believe they were 16 cents a piece. Flatten and rub the tin square so that it is securely attached. Wipe any excess Silicone off the top of the tile with a damp warm cloth.
Then I set a paper towel on the top of it and laid a pile of books on it and let them dry over night! The next day I took a small paint brush and painted some glossy varnish over the top of it to seal it all off so that the edges would not peel up and to protect the edges from poking or scratching any users of the coasters.
Then simply place some felt pads on the bottom of the coasters to protect your table top from getting scratched!
Aren’t they fun? I think they would be great to have in your TV room or game room.
And did I mention how inexpensive they are to make? Pennies per coaster! Really! And you are recycling with a purpose!
So go ahead and whip some of these bad boys up! One of the perks of this recent project was that I HAD to have one last drink. Really! There were no empty cans to be found! And I enjoyed every last drop. Who knows, I just may HAVE to make a LOT more of these coasters to give to ALL my friends and family!
What do you think? If you were to make some, what aluminum cans would you use?
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Heidi@thecraftmonkey says
Oh those are SO fun! They would also be perfect in a game room and/or family room! Of course, I would probably slice my hand off cutting the cans, I’m “coordinated” like that! :)
Bella says
OH MY GOSH, those are the cutest things ever. I don’t really drink soda, maybe beer, but rarely from a can, so I would have to go dumpster diving to get my hands on cans, lol. Oh unless I wait until a bday party or something. Thanks for the wonderful idea though. I just love it, so bright, and cheery.
Alrighty Amy, I’m featuring this on my facebook page, and also pinning it to myPINTEREST-NEED TO TRY THIS board.
Hugs, Bella :)
Lisa says
If you can carefully get the labels off bottles, you could decoupage them on the tiles.
Karen says
Lisa, good idea. So I just peeled off the label of a two liter bottle and it would be perfect to decoupage on a tile. These are cute tiles.
Ruby says
All kinds of beverages come in cans now …. I’m gonna try this with Peace Tea! 😇
The Idea Room Assistant says
Ruby- Great idea!
This is seriously right up my ally. I LOVE this idea. I could totally make a diet coke version for my husband for father’s day. How fun, Thank you!!!
My sister is obsessed with Dr. Pepper. I am going to make some of these for her along with a sign that says “Given enough Dr. Pepper I could rule the world” found here: http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/givenenoughdrpepper1.pdf
Thanks!
This is so cool!!!! I would never have thought to do that. Perfect father’s day gift! I know what my husband is getting! ;-)
this is by far one of the greathing things i have seen!! i am so doing this!!
OH My Gosh!! How cute and simple. Great Idea…I LOVE this and WILL be making some. Perfect time too. I am planning a Surprise Birthday party for my husband. What a great little something special this will be!
These are brilliant Amy! Featured them on Craft Gossip :) http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/coasters-made-from-soda-cans/
What a fun idea. Have a great week at camp. I bet it makes you feel so good to share in an experience that helps those kids do normal camp things.
Wow! What a great idea!!! I LURVE the bottom picture w/ the cold Dr. Pepper in the dotted glass! Looks so yummy! I used to be a Diet Coke addict, but I’ve had to wean myself off of them. Too many calories and water IS better for me!LOL Thanks for sharing the tutorial!
Amy! these are just too darn cute! super job! I love how personalized they cna be. :)
gail
That is so cute. I’m going to go pick up the necessary supplies tonight. I can’t wait to make some of my own!
These are so cute. They would make such a fun gift and would look so cute in a family room. I love this idea!
That’s so cute! I’m slightly obsessed with diet coke and really want to make some!
That’s so great! My husband loves Mountain Dew, so maybe I’ll see about making some of those… :)
These are so awesome! Like amazing. I love them Amy! Only I need 25 Diet Coke ones. (duh) I’m going to put this on my list. I just finished making some coasters….and shoot…I’m pretty sure these are way cuter. Darn! Oh well. :) I just need to learn that you are the QUEEN of fantastic!
Amy how fun! My Sister works for MDA in Baltimore. What camp are you going to?
Ohhh man! This is so clever. I am totally going to have to do this. I bet some family members of mine would get a kick out of this!
what a wonderful creative idea. LOVE it.
Love this idea! Looks like I’m going to have to look for our tin snips. What a great father’s day gift! Thanks for sharing.
These are amazing Amy…love this project so much!
This is a great idea! Think I may try some with some E6000 adhesive…
what a great ideas! I’ve made a few coasters from Tiles and Pictures printed on tissue paper! but I love your idea!
I love these!! I will be attempting Dr Pepper and Diet Coke coasters!!!
FANTASTIC! I LOVE these! such a fin and original idea, Thanks so much for sharing!
this is SO adorable!!!
I love these! Beer labels would also be a good for a “man cave.” ;)
Thank you for the awesome tutorial! We have a bit of a Pabst collection in our house, but we do not have coasters to go with it. I think we might soon!
Love these and will definitely be making! ~Thanks!
Coolest idea EVER!! This is for sure a favorite of mine that you’ve done.
Very cute idea, but using aluminum cans seems to result in a very denty end product, as seen in one of the photos… might this be better executed with the plastic labels from 20oz bottles, with a few good, thick layers of poly on top?
My hubby is a Mountain Dew….{not a typo} he drinks so much, he really has turned into A MOUNTAIN DEW! But seriously, my father’s day craft that was planned has been a pain to arrange, so NOW, I’m going to make him some Pepsi and Mountain Dew coasters….Too fun! I’ll send you the link to the post once I’m done! Fun stuff…thanks for sharing!
to make these a little bit safer and the safe effect..cute up a 12 pack case of soda box. THen modge podge the cardboard(which is as think as the tin) onto the tiles. super cute..safe effect minus the sharp edges to work with!!
I tried switching to Diet Dr. Pepper several times, but after a week I was always ready for the ‘real’ stuff again. Then we started tracking our calories & the difference between 0 and 150+ was big enough for me to feel no qualms about grabbing a diet can again & again. Soon I got to the point where I really couldn’t taste the difference between diet & regular (Dr. Pepper is one of the better diet sodas, though. I don’t think I could ever stomach a Diet Coke!).
I guess you’ve just got to stick it out a little while. At the time they had a Berries & Cream flavored version that tasted even less diet-y. But if you are not having problems switching to water, more power to you! (I do only drink about a can a day, but I am always craving more!)
These are amazingly cute! Maybe we could round the corners and mod podge over it so that it could be protected from the drinks that we set on them :]
I am a new follower and I would love if you came and followed me back at A Sew Chic Boutique!
Thanks so much Ashley! Rounding the corners would be a great idea. Less sharp edges. Mod Podge would be good but it is water soluble. I used a varnish so the condensation from the drinks would not dissolve it. But for sure adding something to cover it is a great idea to protect it from the hot and cold drinks.
really cool idea!
I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!
doro K.
featured this today! so great!
So cute! I think I can actually make these! Gonna start saving my Dr Pepper cans, and make my husband start saving his Mtn. Dew ones too. Thanks for sharing.
LOVE THIS!!!!! Going to make some Coke ones for my friend!
Beer can coasters would be perfect for my dad to take to the deer lease!
Awesome post! What kind of varnish are you using? I’m having trouble finding one that properly seals the edges; they’re still very sharp on my practice piece.
This is such a good idea!!!!!!
I am 13 years old and I am making these for my dad for Christmas and I am so happy!!!! I really think this will be something that I can actually make and have fun while doing…. THANK YOU!!!!!;)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful tutorial! I LOVE these coasters you have made using soda cans.. LOVE! I just finished a soda can crafts round-up and I hope that is okay, I featured your soda can coasters. You can see it here:
http://jamiebrock.hubpages.com/hub/aluminum-can-crafts-round-up
Thank you again for sharing :0)
This is absolutely what me and the kids will be doing at some point in the next few days! We buy 2liters not cans so it will also necessitate a trip to the store~I have a feeling they will not mind helping me empty those cans! We will do Sprite, Dr Pepper, Orange Crush, Mountain Dew, and A&W. And believe it or not I already have the tiles!! I have a stash that I had been hanging onto to use just for crafts with the kids! This is perfect!!
Will definitely repost on pinterest but cant share on FB or he will see, haha!
TIP:If you don’t have tin snippers, you can use a can opener to cut off the top and bottome of the can. It works perfectly!
Wow! This one caught my eye! Believe it or not, the only can opener, we own is just a cheap handheld one, we use it to open puppy food cans! Before I collect soda cans, can you tell me, did you use an electric or handheld opener? I an having a hard time envisioing,getting the bottom of the can off! Thank you, I am really excited to make some for xmas! Thank you!!!
I am so going to do this but I am going to do it with the BOX that the cans come in to reduce the possible risk of cutting even after it is on the tile. I would use modge podge also instead of varnish. Thanks for the idea!
Reading up in the comments – she suggests varnish because it’s not water soluable like modge podge, it could come off with the condensation from a drink.
I made this for my daddy and he loved it ! He wass very surprised since I’m only 11!!!
Aww
My 8th grade Roots and Shoots class has created a store at our school that sells recycled stuff, and this is the hottest item! Thank you so much for the idea!
Zo mooi maar waar vind je die witte vierkanten waar dat je dan dat blikje op plakt.
En moet er daar dan nog iets boven op dat blikje waarschijnlijk iets van plastiek of zo.
Ik hoop dat je me kan helpen.
Mvg van evelien coppens en tot wederhoren
can you use something instead of the tile?
Saw a few people’s suggestions about using paper labels instead of the cans and thought, the paper might not be as durable as the aluminum (tin?)—but then a light bulb went off—–laminate the paper before adhering it to the tiles! Then varnish over it if you prefer, but I don’t think it would be necessary.
I’m making this for my brother, who just went to college and everything. I’m also replacing the felt pads for magnets, so he can put them on his refrigerator, it’s going to look great! Such a cute little gift!
What a great idea! Perfect for a college student and adding the magnets is brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?
Superb! I really liked this project. Good job all around.
These are quite cute, but when drinks sweat the water runs off the coaster and onto your table. The coasters haven other to absorb the moisture.
We have a friend that’s a missionary in Belize. He’s a total Dr. Pepper addict but it’s really hard to find there and very expensive when he does. I think some Dr. Pepper coasters will be the perfect gift in his next care package we send!
I have to make some Diet Coke coasters for both of my daughters….and Michelle at work too! Thanks for such a fun idea..and simple enough for me!
Thank you for sharing such an original idea! I’d love to create a set of such coasters!))
cool!!!
Thank you! Post is great!
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I like how they look even if they aren’t very functional! The purpose of coasters is to absorb liquid to protect the table surface, and even though these have no way to do that they would still be fun on an outdoor patio table where it wouldn’t matter. Very cute idea. I could see using beer cans also.
Becky- So glad you like them.
I am in need of a 10 year wedding anniversary gift. I googled tin crafts and aluminum crafts and came across your idea. I am so excited to make these. I will be using Sprite cans because that is what we drink when we have pizza!
Cynthia- I am so happy that you found this post helpful. Your husband will love this gift.
Really these DIY Soda coasters look amazing. Thank you for sharing this post.
Jeena- Thank you!
Hey, this is really great can ideas. I will try these coasters with my little one. I want him to be creative so all the time busy such great DIY ideas.
Alexander- Thank you.