Introduction: How to Make a Tealight Holder From a Soda Can

Recently, my daughter came home from school with a project: to upcycle some household rubbish into something useful. After some initial discussions on what we have available to us, we decided on some soda cans (or if you're in my native Scotland, "fizzy juice" cans).

Now, it was clear to me as the adult that repurposing a drinks can would involve some cutting and therefore some sharp metal edges, so we needed to think of something which wouldn't ultimately expose some 7-year-old kids to a potentially digit-losing hazard. Taping the edges would be ugly, folding the edges could still be sharp, leaving the can as-is isn't upcycling. So, we sat down and chatted some more. We eventually opted for a tealight holder. We have loads of those, courtesy of our local Ikea. Also, Daddy has a 3D printer. This shouldn't be too hard!

Step 1: What You'll Need

  • A drinks can
  • A sharp knife
  • Scissors (optional)
  • Tealight
  • 3D printed cap (you can get it on Thingiverse)
  • Masking/painters/electrical tape

EXTREME CAUTION:
This Instructable involves working with sharp tools and drinks cans. There is a risk of injury, so be super careful and supervise children at all times.

Step 2: Preparing the Can

Cut the can open with your knife. You can either cut all the way around the can with the knife, or you can start with the knife or finish off the cut with a pair of scissors. My knife wasn't great at cutting all the way round, so I finished off with scissors. Once you've finished the cut, remove the top of the can and put it aside. You'll not need it anymore.

Take the bottom of the can and run some tape around the edge you've just made. Cut some notches in the tape to the point it meets the can (don't cut the can!) and then fold them over. This will make the edges safe to work with and prevent any injury.

Step 3: Finish Off

Once you've finished preparing the can, all that's left to do is to place the 3D printed cap on top of the can. The grooves on the underside of the cap should fit snugly over the can and cover the tape.

Place the tealight into the cap.

You're done! Light the candle and enjoy the mood!

Trash to Treasure

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Trash to Treasure