Preppy Paint Cans

My good friend Kristen was kind enough to buy me a bountiful supply of quart sized paint cans from Home Depot last winter and I've been totally obsessed with using my nifty Xyron 510 sticker machine to jazz up paint cans with grosgrain ribbons. I've completed eight paint cans so far and I'm gunning to decorate even more, but I've run out of supplies. I'm out of ribbon, out of adhesive for my machine, but I still have twelve paint cans.

Reasons why paint cans are totally awesome:
1. Paint cans are inexpensive at around a dollar a piece.
2. Paint cans serve as excellent vases because they feature a coated rustproof interior suitable for paint.
3. Paint cans are durable and come with a super tight lid. They keep cookies fresh and are approved by the USPS for shipping anything not liquid.
4. Paint cans are easy to decorating using modge podge, glue or just tape because the cylinders have smooth surfaces. All you need is an appropriately sized rectangle of paper to cover the exterior.
5. Industrial chic for cheap...what's not to love?

Ways to decorate a paint can:
1. Don't decorate...no need to fuss with the nice shiny silver exterior.
2. Utilize your knowledge of geometry and cut a rectagular sheet of pretty paper with the following dimensions: width=the height of the paint can and length=pi times the diameter of the paint can. Glue or tape paper around the paint can...tah dah!
3. Run strips of ribbon (length=pi times the diameter of the paint can or you could just wrap the ribbon around the can) through a sticker maker to create ribbon stickers and adhere the ribbon stickers to the can in horizontal stripes. Grosgrain and other opaque ribbons work well for this project. To achieve the preppy look...use pink, green, polka dots and striped grosgrain ribbon...think "in the spirit of those grosgrain ribbon belts that are all the rage."

Ways to use a paint can:
1. Mailing receptacle (see above).
2. Pints work as pencil cups or small vases.
3. Use a Quart or a Gallon can for a gift basket...big ones come with a nifty handle as well.
4. Fill with paint.

Places to purchase paint cans:
1. Home Depot
2. containerstore.com even carries the itty bitty 8 oz paint can...like a little juice glass...how cute!
3. paint stores like the one on Newbury Street.

P.S. A special thanks to the lovely folks who gave me my sticker machine.
P.P.S. If you would like to give me a ride to Joanne's fabric...let me know. I've run out of ribbon and my usual supplier, Pearl, is getting out of the buy by the yard ribbon business.