Introduction: Stop in at the Plumbing Store for These Containers

These containers of various sizes were made from plumbing parts, caps, to be specific. When they are put together they look quite nice by themselves but they are also very useful.

You can make a container very quickly and easily using the pvc parts at your local hardware store. Making a lid for the container is easy with minimal workshop time. Once it is put together the methods of decorating it are endless for instance, think Halloween.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies But You Wont Need to Turn Off the Water

Select a cap suitable for your use from the plumbing department of your local hardware store.

Since your drinking water is transported through the white plumbing, those containers should be food safe as well, but that is just my opinion.

There are caps in other sections of the plumbing department but remember only the white is used for drinking water but the black is elegant when finished and the orange is interesting for Halloween and so on.

PVC plumbing caps as shown

Plywood or plain wood .188 thick

Access to a Laser cutter, band saw or scroll saw

Glue

paint (or nail polish in acolour of your choice) Paint brush suitable for the paint used

Step 2: How to Change a Plumbing Cap Into a Charming Container

Once you have chosen a pvc part of a suitable size for your requirements, measure the inside diameter and the outside diameter of the container of your choice.

Use these measurements to design two circles for the laser cutter or band saw etc.

If you are using a laser cutter, indicate the exact centre of each circle and include a very small hole cut at the centre no bigger than a pencil point.

When they circles have been cut, you can glue them together with the smaller circle on the underside of the larger circle carefully centering the smaller circle.

When the glue has set, insert a very long screw into the centre hole to hold the lid steady while it is being painted, either by spray or by paint brush. If the screw is long enough, you can put locking pliers on the screw and then rest the pliers in a container such as a cup until the paint is dry. I know that several light coats are better than one heavy one but I must admit that I found it hard to get light coats on with the paint brush and even harder with the spray can but I still think it is good advice.

When the paint is dried, assemble your container and decide if you want to decorate it. If you decide to decorate it, here are a few suggestions.

Step 3: As Charming As They Are When Plain, They Look Great Decorated

Sun Sparkle: There are many very attractive sparkly nail polishes on the market and too few occasions where you can wear those really sparkly ones. Well here is a way to use that polish where it can be admired all the time and wont fade away with wearing. Enjoy the sparkle with a golden sun from a pair of earrings.

Princess Diva: Have you ever seen stickers that were too cute to pass up but no where to stick them? Or do you have a young person that would love to have something with their favourite sticker proudly displayed on it. Think of those adorable Christmas stickers that you would love to use. Well think about making a container to stick them to and then protect them with nail polish. This Diva example has the rim painted with nail polish to match the sticker.

Purple Persuasion: If you can't get enough of a certain colour of nail polish, you can have it in sight all day. The crackle finish was an unexpected surprise. It resulted from painting the purple nail polish over white acrylic paint.

Temporary Tattoo Endures: After the summer events are over or after the sports events have been won or lost, those temporary tattoos get washed off and they are gone. But you can continue to enjoy them for long after the sports team has gone on to greater glories or the parades have long been dismantled.

Apply your temporary tattoo to an object that doesn't go into the water or dishwasher. Ensure that the surface that will receive the tattoo is clean and free of oils.

Cut around the tattoo and remove the plastic protective cover.

Place the tattoo where you want it and apply a damp according to the directions that accompanied the tattoo.

Remove the cloth and if the paper backing is saturated, carefully remove the backing and then gently blot the transfer and allow to dry.

When the transfer is dry, apply a coating of a protective finish. I have used nail polish when i want to add a sparkle to the transfer.

Trims and details can be added with nail polish. You can paint the edge of the lid with a compatible colour of nail polish.

Step 4: Along the Same Lines Some Halloween Fun

Here is another fun thing you can do with plumbing supplies.

If you like to decorate for Halloween, you might enjoy these plumbing pieces.

The orange plumbing cap just happens to fit perfectly over the white plumbing cap creating a great Halloween covered bowl. Of course you can get some stickers that match that colour scheme. As I mentioned before, the white pvc is used to carry drinking water so I can imagine that it is safe for candies etc, especially if they are wrapped. There are probably many other uses for this fun bowl. Just to make sure it looks great for Halloween, I applied a temporary tattoo. The procedure for doing this is covered earlier in this instructable. The black cap is of course not used for consumable liquids so I would not consider putting candies in it but it could contain any number of other things and well wrapped candies, perhaps. If you get a chance, check with a plumber.

Conveniently, some of the caps fit into some of the other caps as you can see in the pictures at the end. I'll bet you never thought of the plumbing department as a playground for crafters.

Of course,the clerk at your local hardware store can be forgiven for thinking that you are doing a little plumbing job if you try any number of these projects. Oh yeah, and they are still okay to use for plumbing if the need arises.