UnCANNY Ornaments

Add sparkle, personalization, and uniqueness to your Christmas tree while helping to re-cycle soft drink cans. These would also make attractive personalized gifts for loved ones if you mount a picture of your family in one.

Approximate Time: An hour or less (as you learn, it gets much faster)

Supplies:

• Empty soft drink cans of your choice
• Tin snips
• Optional items to glue to the center of the ornaments.
• Spray paint (optional)
• Glue or glue gun
• gloves (optional)
• needle-nosed pliers
• Some to punch a small hole for the hanger
• Ribbon or cord for hanging

Instructions:

Before you begin, you may want to make a template of the top of the can (inside the rim) in order to get the right size for whatever you decide to mount in that space.

Using the tin snips, cut the bottom off a regular sized soft drink can. The one shown here is a Sunkist can. (Wear gloves to protect your hands until you get the hang of it. The new cans are not as difficult to work with as the older, more solid ones.)

Now decide whether you want to leave it unpainted (which is really interesting, as is shown in the picture), or if you want to paint the outside. The inside is shiny and adds sparkle if you choose this route. You can also wait until you finish the curling (before you fill the center) and spray paint the entire ornament before applying whatever you're gluing to the center.

Starting at the bottom of the can (where you have removed the bottom circle), cut the can into strips all the way up to where they connect with the top of the can. You decide how wide you want them or if you want to do varied widths. The finished product is very forgiving of any variations. As you make more and more of these, you will find different ways to cut and curl them to your own taste.

After you have cut all the strips, use the needle-nosed pliers to "curl" the them into whatever size or tightness you want. Your may want to leave one strip uncurled to be used to attach a ribbon or hanger to.)Just let those creative juices flow and you'll be amazed at what you've made from an old can!

If you chose to leave a strip uncurled, punch a small hole near the top of it. (I lay it on a board and hammer a small nail through it to make the hole.)

Now here is where you really personalize it. Some ideas of things to put in the center (which is actually the top of the can) are: a small mirror to reflect the tree lights , a photo of family/friends/pets or whatever you choose, a picture from an old Christmas card, broken mosaic tiles, etc. The choices are limitless. You may finish the back by gluing a round piece of felt or paper on it, or you could also put one of the things listed above on there and have it be finished on both sides. 6. When you have completed the ornament, you can attach a silver or gold cord, a ribbon, or simply a hook with which to hang it on the tree.

All you need to do now is to stand back, enjoy your creation and accept the compliments and questions you're sure to get!

By Sandy from Elon, NC