April 2020

Frugal Uses for Tin Cans

By Joseph Parish

Over a number of years, a family can accumulate a considerable collection of empty tin cans. The average family will use at least two canned products for each meal. Each day empty tin cans find their way to the trash bin, however with the resent pushed for recycling, and more people going green, reusing these products make very good sense. The usual appeals for a used can are in the craft area, where they are employed as a sort of storage compartment for various supplies.

Cans come in a diverse number of different sizes making at least one size feasible for any project you might have in mind. Whether you have immediate plans to reusing the small tomato paste cans, or perhaps make use of empty number 10 cans, recycling is likely the way to go.

I remember many times during my youthful days that members of my family would incorporate empty cans to serve as plant containers, often my mother would suggest that we children sit down and decorate the cans with colorful bits of paper and paints. All that was required was a bit of cleaning and poking a few holes in the bottom of the can for water drainage.

Another very popular use for empty cans was as a tin can light. This was primarily for outdoor use and this was particularly an excellent summertime activity. Once again, we would paint the outside of the can with an earth tone color. We would fill the can with water and freeze it before punching the light holes into the sides. When finished we would melt the ice and drain the resultant water. Small tea candles would be inserted inside the can to provide the luminance necessary for our lamp. Occasionally we would attach a strong wire to the top of the can to make it easy to transport.

Using tin cans for baking is a novel approach towards reducing the trash collection issues. Simply peel the labels off and wash well. When ready to use spray the inside of the can with "Pam" vegetable spray and fill it two-thirds full with your favorite bread batter and bake it. When finished remove the cans from the oven and let them cool. Next take a sharp knife and slide it carefully around the inside perimeter of the can in order to release the loaf of bread.

The old timers used to have several excellent ways to put empty tin cans to work on the farm. By flattening them out and nailing them in place you could effectively cover a mouse hole very well. Be sure to put nails in each corner. In addition, it wasn't unusual to travel along the back-country roads and notice tin cans placed on the top of the farmers wooden fence posts in order to prevent rot. How many people recall seeing some of the older farm tractors sitting aside the road with a can placed over its exhaust? Worked wonders in preventing water from getting into the exhaust pipe.

It only takes a bit of imagination to recycle trash into useful products. Why not give your next dump-bound items a new lease on life?