Introduction: Easy Storage Unit Made of Pop Cans

Ever found a lack of organization in your room, house, or other space? I did. My room was a bit of a mess, and so I wanted to make something I could put little bits in to keep them together. I thought, what are containers that I have around that I could use to make a storage compartment? Then I got it. Pop cans. My family uses way too many a day, and they just get thrown away. So I decided to use them as my base for my project. Here's what you'll need to complete this simple project:

4 pop cans

A hot glue gun

scissors/tin snips (surprisingly, I found scissors easier to work with)

Sandpaper

Nail/screw or some other way of making a hole in the can

Spray paint or another form of paint (optional but I think it makes it look way cooler)

Cardboard (Optional but definitely can help it stay together and add more structural integrity.

And that's it! It's that simple. Now let's get to work!

Step 1: Cutting/Sanding

To start this step you'll want your nail or hole making device. You'll want to put a hole about where you want to chop off the top of your can. You'll want to do this to each can. I did 1 large, 2 medium, and 1 small compartment, but it's up to you how you want to customize your storage unit. Then you need to sand the lip of your cans. This is important so that you don't cut yourself, as the tin can be sharp.

Step 2: Glueing

Once you've done the last step, you'll want start gluing. You should glue all your cans together on a level surface unless you plan to make them tiered. When your gluing, make sure you get in the cracks, especially if you do not plan on using cardboard as a base. At this point in the process, you could choose to stop. If you want to make your organizer better, follow the rest of these steps

Step 3: Cardboard Base

For this step, you'll need a piece of cardboard at least as large as the cans. You could make a square, or you could make a diamond shape like I did and keep it hidden. Keep in mind that the diamond is slightly less supportive but looks better in my opinion. Then you're ready to spray paint.

Step 4: Spray Painting/Painting

When I did this step, I spray painted my organizer, so I'm not entirely sure how well regular paint will work. I would recommend your experiment though, and maybe make your's really original. If you spray paint DO NOT attempt to dry it with hot air, as that will melt the glue and possibly screw up your entire project.

Step 5: You're Done!

You're done! It was that simple. I would encourage anyone who is good at designing to make this and put some intricate designs on theirs. I think that would be cool to see, and I might even try my hand at it. Enjoy your organizers!

(Editors Note: I am aware some of the pictures are bad, but this is my first instructable and I hope I'll get better as time goes on!)

Trash to Treasure

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Trash to Treasure