tin

Hi!

Do you have a ton of old and empty mint/candy tins? Ever wonder what to do with them other than throw them out? I have a small collection and was wondering how to spruce the tins and make them artsy!

Let’s begin! You’ll need:

old metal tin
acrylic paints (I’m using Jane Davenport Acrylic Paints in portrait colors)
brushes
water
paper towels
paper scraps/stickers/ephemera (I’m using Jane Davenport Collage Papers)
texture pastes/mediums (I’m using Heidi Swapp Metallic Paste and Art Screen Ink)
PVA glue/Mod Podge to seal it
masking tape/painter’s tape

Step 1

Separate the tin into the lid and the bottom. For taping, you have two options regarding the lid–tape the border and just paint the top OR paint the whole lid. For the bottom, tape the upper half, where the lid rests when closed.

FullSizeRender(1) — I’ve created a tape holder to reduce messiness.

Step 2

Think of a theme. Brush on smooth and thin layers of paint. Allow it to dry between coats. You will need at least 2-3 coats of paint depending on your paint quality and coverage. Wash your brushes between coats and dry before re-painting.

FullSizeRender(3) — After several coats of paint…

Step 3

After you are completely finished painting, glue on paper scraps and seal with PVA glue. You can use any texture medium as well (I’m using Heidi Swapp Metallic Texture Paste in teal and Heidi Swapp Art Screen ink). I applied the paste with my fingers. Wash your brush and fingers every so often to prevent a stiff and unusable brush OR messy fingers. After I applied the paste, I glued on some Jane Davenport Collage papers.

FullSizeRender(4)

Step 4

Seal and protect your painted surface with PVA glue diluted with a few drops of water. Let dry completely for a few hours before putting the tin back together.