After recently spotting a West Elm ad for some “crushed soda can vases”, I was inspired to turn to my recycling bin for a new project. It seemed like good timing, with Earth Day right around the corner. So, I grabbed a coffee canister from our bin of “recyclables that can’t be recycled here” and put my thinking cap on.
As much as I love living here in Charlotte, our plastic recycling is limited. If it doesn’t have a discernable neck for a screw-top cap (like a water bottle), it isn’t accepted in our bins. So, I keep a large tub of random plastic containers in our garage because trashing them just doesn’t sit well with me.
Anyway, I’ve seen these coffee canisters repurposed before and wanted to put my own spin on it. And since I’ve been on such a faux plant kick, I decided to make a boho planter with my Folgers jug.
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Covering the Coffee Canister
First order of business was, of course, painting the jug. And while this may have been overkill, I started out by spraying it with primer.
Had I been spray painting it with a 2-in-1 spray paint, I could have skipped this step. But, alas, I had other plans.
Next, I bought a sample of a deep blue to brush over the primer. We have a lot of dark blue accents in our living room, which is where I planned to use this planter.
Now for the fun part of this recycling bin craft! Because the coffee canister is molded with a handle, I wanted the shape to look more uniform and smooth. So, I bought a roll of cork fabric from this Etsy shop to wrap around the pot.
Cork fabric is made from a very thin layer of cork bark (which makes it sustainable- no tree cutting involved). But the thin cork is backed with a linen-like material, which makes it very easy to work (and craft!) with. Similar to a thin faux leather fabric, actually.
Anyway, I measured the portion of coffee can that I wanted covered by cork fabric and cut it out on craft mat (similar to this set).
Making a Boho Planter
Next, I needed to adhere the strip of cork fabric to the painted canister. I thought about using something like Mod Podge, but settled on a plain ole’ glue stick instead. Just in case the Mod Podge bled through the cork fabric…
Once I applied glue to the back of the cork fabric, I carefully wrapped the coffee can with it.
I LOVED how it looked, and shhh, don’t tell anyone- but the cork wasn’t quite wide enough to completely wrap around. So, there’s a strip of exposed blue plain in the back.
Now, I could have stopped there, but wanted a little more pizazz. So, I bought some braided gold cord to add around the top of the planter.
Lastly, I used my hot glue gun to attach the gold cord to the ridge on the coffee canister. And that was it- my boho planter was done!
From there, I simply plopped in a faux snake plant from Michaels!
Upcycling a Coffee Canister with Cork Fabric
Ok, I take that back- I did do one more thing. I added some peel-and-stick cork to the bottom of the planter before setting on our mantle. Just to ensure that none of the blue paint rubbed off on it, you know?
I already had these in my craft supplies, so I just cut them to fit.
But, look at that! Doesn’t it look fabulous now? You’d never know it once held ground coffee.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with the end result- maybe I should craft from that recycling bin more often?! And doesn’t it look nice next to my faux Cloisonne vase, remember that project?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this recycling bin craft! Think you’ll be upcycling a coffee canister soon now? Or perhaps try out a craft with cork fabric, as well?
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PLUS, I convinced some of my blogging gal pals to join me today- and they’ve been digging through their recycling bins, too. Check out their projects below.
1. Recycle Bin Craft – Shop at Blu
2. Recycling Bin Propagation Station – Organized Clutter
3. DIY Wine Bottle Tiki Torch – My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
4. Upcycling a Coffee Canister with Cork Fabric – Sadie Seasongoods
5. DIY Upcycle Ideas from Your Recycle Bin – My Repurposed Life
6. How to Upcycle Aluminum Cans into Vases – Petticoat Junktion
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Happy Earth Day, everyone! And don’t forget, I have an entire collection of these kinds of recycled crafts on my blog if you need more inspiration!
Craft on!
S
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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
I love this ! ! !
Thank you so very much!
A great idea I have several plants that need repotted. Could you use tin coffee cans and line them with a plastic container?
I don’t see why not? But I only deal with fake plants, so what do I know? LOL. You’d probably need to drill some holes for drainage if you were potting real plants, that’s the only significant change I could think of!
Girrrrl, you are a genius! Great project and thanks for letting us revisit the cloisonne vases. Guess I missed that one.
Thank you so much, Cathy! The vase project was published a few years ago…I’ve been blogging for nearly 10 years now, so there are a LOT of older projects that folks forget about. 😉
This is super pretty, you would never know it came from a coffee can! I’ve never heard of the cork paper, I love the concept and want to try it out, such a great design too.
Thank you so very much, Kristin!
I had no idea there was such a thing as cork paper. The pattern is beautiful and is perfect for the Mother-in-law’s tongue plant, which is shocking that it is not real.
Thanks for herding us together to collaborate on this project!
pinned!
gail
Thank you so much, Gail! And YES, I’m obsessed with these faux snake plants from Michaels- I’ve got three of them now, LOL. Their sales are dangerous.
Lovely project! Looks very upscale. Glad to have learned of cork fabric too!!!
Thanks, Susan! I always love discovering new supplies to share with everyone!
That is so gorgeous! Very up-scale looking! I love it! I have to check out that cork paper. I especially like that it is made of sustainable material. Thanks for sharing this project!
You are very welcome, Naomi!
Sarah! I just can’t EVEN!!! This is amazing! What a creation!! When you said you had found cork fabric, I didn’t even consider that it would be GORGEOUS!! I am blown away!! I don’t know why…your upcycles are always upscale!
Thank you so, so much, Suzanne!! I’m just thrilled at how it turned out, too.
I love the cork cover! Super clever! Trying to pin from your blog but it won’t let me.
Thanks, Carlene! Hmm…I had that issue on someone else’s blog the other day!! Weirdness.
How very talented you are, it’s beautiful. I have trying to figure out what to do with the empty containers. Thanks
You are very welcome, Cindy- and thank you!
Hi Sadiei have never seen or heard of this cork stuff but oh my gosh!! I have had your vase saved on Pinterest for wla while but haven’t bought a case like that yet. That coffee jug looks amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much, Cheryl!!
Goodness… you’d never know what was hiding behind those gorgeous flower pots! What a wonderful idea, putting those recyclables to good use!
Thank you so very much, Donna!
This is super cute and I love the repurpose of old containers.
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Thanks so very much, Esme!
This upcycling project blows me away! It’s stunning. I can’t believe it’s a coffee container.
Crazy, right?? I couldn’t love it more if I tried!
What else could be used instead of the cork fabric? I dont have any of that nor have I ever heard of it. It is beautiful though
I think you could use whatever you want or have; I chose the cork fabric because it was stiff enough to hold its shape against the contours of the can. And I linked to it in my post if you’re curious about buying it.