northstory + co.

Easter Basket Craft – Upcycle an old Coffee can!

There are two main reasons I often do crafts and home projects by upcycling used items. Making this Easter basket craft definitely falls under both reasons.

  1. The first is that craft supplies are crazy expensive. At times you run out and buy something that you essentially will use for  just a day. And that doesn’t fly with my bank account.
  2. The second and most obvious, is that it’s already there in your home, available to re-purpose. And it’s fun to see how you can take something that you were going to put into the recycling and transform it into something you can use.

Upcycled Easter Basket Craft

Now, I have a bit of an addiction to The Great Canadian coffee from President’s Choice. You can thank my discovering this due in part to my gym Goodlife, being located in Superstore – which is the grocery store that carries it in Canada. And you know, after you work out, you go shopping at Superstore and Joe Fresh.

Like the marketing people didn’t plan that at all.

Because of this, I have tons of these cans that I started saving. Why? Because I knew they would work well for candle holders, planters, gift containers and well, things like an Easter basket craft.

Like this one.

Easter Basket Craft – Upcycle an old Coffee can!

ITEMS NEEDED:

  • Coffee can or plastic container
  • Ribbon
  • Duct tape (white – optional)
  • Pearl beads
  • Craft wire or pipe cleaners
  • Glue gun and glue sticks

STEP 1 

First drink all of your coffee. If you’re in our household, you’ll empty this in no time.

STEP 2

Take off the label and any residue.

Using a very fancy a hammer and a nail, punch a hole on both sides of the can.

Do this on top of a good cutting board you can afford to punch holes into.  For the edges, use the hammer or an eyelet tool to flatten them down.

OPTIONAL: Wrap your can with white duct tape. This will ensure that the metal from the can won’t show under your ribbon.

You don’t have to do this part, but I find it helps make it look cleaner.

STEP 3

Then take your ribbon and wrap it around the can and glue the ends of the ribbon to the can with a glue gun.

I used May Arts White Grosgrain Band Edge Ribbon with the yellow trim.

STEP 4

Afterwards take some craft wire (or even a pipe cleaner if you have some) and thread it through the holes making a small loop to act as a hook under the rim.

Then add your pearl beads.

Add a felt flower if you so wish. I did. So I added one. Or you can make a flower out of ribbon. When in doubt, go visit Lia Griffith’s site. She will absolutely have a tutorial for you.

The back. This was done to cover the ribbon seams.

While I was shooting this, I resisted the temptation to eat any of the chocolate Easter eggs because I have a vacation to New Orleans coming up. There I will eat my weight back in beignets from Cafe du Monde. These are staying out of sight until the Easter egg hunt for my kids.

Who I now have to make another one of these baskets for because I somehow overlooked that minor detail that there are two of them.

I blame the lack of chocolate.

Please visit the Easter projects created by the wonderful bloggers I’ve teamed up with this month for our Easter Project Blog Hop!

From left to right, they are:

DIY Easter Photo Props by A Pretty Life in the Suburbs
Pastel Easter Wreath with DIY Ribbon Flowers by Echoes of Laughter
Hope Wreath by Fynes Designs
Vibrant Easter Wreath by Time With Thea
Hippity Hop Wall Art by Clean and Scentsible
Pottery Barn Inspired Easter Bunny by Craftberry Bush
Ribbon Rosette Candy Jars by The Sweet Escape
Wood Slice Easter Wreath by The Happy Housie
Decorate Easter Eggs with Paint and Ribbon by The DIY Dreamer
An Easter Tablescape with Peat Pots by Satori Design for Living
Simple and Spring-y Easter Headbands by Suburble
An Upcycled Easter Basket by Northstory

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10 Comments

  • Reply
    Christine
    April 3, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Totally diggin’ the upcycled Easter basket!!!! Did you make one for me? Pinned! 🙂

  • Reply
    fynesdesigns
    April 3, 2014 at 9:15 am

    This is so beautiful! and to think it was just a coffee can! Great outside the box project!

  • Reply
    Lucy
    April 3, 2014 at 9:56 am

    It’s so very pretty and that ribbon is perfect…xo

  • Reply
    The Sweet Escape
    April 3, 2014 at 10:12 am

    I love projects that reuse items. This is so sweet! Now can you come up with something that use empty wine bottles, because I have plenty of those hanging around.

  • Reply
    Jo-Anna@APrettyLife
    April 3, 2014 at 11:01 am

    What a great way to upcycle! These are the perfect baskets for the Easter bunny!

  • Reply
    Time With Thea (@TimeWithThea)
    April 3, 2014 at 11:56 am

    This is brilliant Alex! I always end up with these large coffee cans and never know what to do with them. Covering the cans with duct tape and pretty ribbon gives it a whole new life. I have to admit I really love what you did with the handle. The beads take it to a whole new level. Well done… as usual!

  • Reply
    Shauna Oberg
    April 3, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    I have a crazy obsession for yellow this time of year, too! Such a smart idea to use what you already have a tonne of. For us, it’s plastic containers from our organic spinach we buy at Costco- we eat that stuff like crazy. We recycle them, but maybe there’s a craft idea there! Okay, now I’m babbling…

  • Reply
    Tara
    April 4, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    I love this upcycle, Alex! The ribbon is so lovely, and I admire your willpower! I would have eaten all of those eggs in a heartbeat!

  • Reply
    Krista @ the happy housie
    April 7, 2014 at 12:06 am

    Totally cute and such a creative upcycle! Love it – and we definitely work our way through those coffee cans! Pinning:)

  • Reply
    Pillows A-La-Mode
    April 8, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    VERY cute!

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