In America alone, the average American goes through 7 pounds of garbage each day. Over one million tons of tin cans are thrown away each year. Recycling is better than filling landfills, but reusing and repurposing otherwise disposable containers is a better way to help the earth. In this instructable, we will take a normal tin can and make a cool Bluetooth speaker. Because we used 2 speakers it is also super loud and has great music qualities. Let's get into it!

Step 1: Materials You Will Need:

Materials:

- Tin Can (3")

- 3w Speakers (3") https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Ultra-Thin-Internal-...

- Electrical Wires

- Wire Cutters

- Hot Glue Gun

- Soldering Iron (With Solder)

- Bluetooth Speaker Circut Board

For the circuit board, I got mine out of a really old cheap Bluetooth speaker. This is the easiest way because it also has the battery and some of the soldering is already done. Just take a hammer and smash the speaker open, being careful not to cut the battery.

- Lithium-ion Battery (1200Mah is fine) https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-1200mAh-Rechargeable...

*We will use other materials later that are optional for decorating.*

Step 2: Attaching the First Speaker

First, we need to attach the first speaker to the circuit board. The battery was already attached when I took apart the old speaker. I didn't use the speaker that was already in the old speaker. I got 2 three watt speakers that had a 3-inch diameter. The 3-inch diameter perfectly fits the can. Follow the first picture to see where the wires were soldered. All black colored wires are negative, while the red ones are positive.

Use the black wire (Speaker (-) ) and attach that to the negative side of the speaker. Then, take an external wire (I used red) and solder it to the first speaker's positive side. After you complete those steps, you should have 2 unconnected wires( the speaker negative wire from the circuit board, and the other end of the external wire we attached). Refer to the second picture if you need to.

Step 3: Switch and Charger Holes

Start with using a can opener to open BOTH sides of the can. The bottom was a little tricky to open so it rougher than the top. I covered it after but you can also use only one speaker and side if you aren't covering it. (I'll get more into "covering it" later)

Take the Label off of the can and remove any extra adhesive. (I didn't do this because I will later be covering this with paint and leather)

Use a drill, Dremel, or just a sharp blade to cut out holes that will comfortably fit the switch and charging port. I then got a piece of duct tape and did the same thing, cutting out the holes. I then put this over the cutouts to cover any sharp edges.

Step 4: Gluing the Circuit Board, Battery, and Speaker

Slide the circuit board in the can by the switch and port through the holes we cut previously. Push the wires that we didn't solder yet under the board so they stick out the other end. I had my board sit on one of the ridges in the can. Use the hot glue to attach the first speaker to the top. Also, I glued the Battery to the bottom of the board. Let's work on the next side!

Step 5: Soldering and Gluing the Second Speaker

After you finished attaching the first speaker you should have two wires coming out of the bottom of the can. The one that was attached to the circuit board should be soldered to the negative side of the speaker. The other wire which came from the negative side of the first speaker needs to be soldered to the positive terminal of the second speaker. After this, you should take out the hot glue gun again. Put a ring of hot glue around the speaker's edge and press that onto the bottom of the can to seal everything in.

*Before closing the whole thing test to see if the speaker works*

Let's make a stand for it now and get to the decorating!

Step 6: Making the Speaker Stand (Optional)

I used some skateboard bearings I had already in my house. You can use something else to make the stand but I thought that it looked really clean like this. If you decide to wrap the speaker in fabric or leather I would add the bearings after, but let me show you what it would look like without.

I used Gorilla's gell super glue. It worked great But if you are attaching it directly to the can hot glue is the right option. The can may look messy, but that Is because I was planning to wrap it. Let me show you how I did it.

Step 7: Wrapping the Speaker in Leather

I think that Wrapping The speaker in leather or fabric gives it a classy and high-quality look. I went to a fabric store and picked up a quarter yard of leather fabric. You don't need this much but make sure you get a wide enough strip to surround the can. I started with tracing where the buttons and charging port had to be and used a hole puncher to cut out the holes really cleanly. I started with the super glue around that area. And proceded to wrap the leather tightly while adding the glue underneath. I finished and cut the fabric so the beginning barely touched the ending cut. I glued the seam and went around the speakers with some glue to strengthen the seams. After wrapping it you can add the "feet" back on using the superglue.

Step 8: Final Details

I thought that the speaker looked a little plain with the all black fabric. The only thing that wasn't black was the silver caps on the speaker. I bought these metal cable ties to match the speaker caps and give the speaker a more completed look and cool accent.

Here is what bought they are super cheap and you get 10 of them:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QSNXIZW/ref=sxts_kp_l...

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial on making a speaker can. If you did, give it a heart. If you have any questions feel free to comment and I will try to get back to you in 24 hours.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan :)