The Simply Genius Way To Turn Empty Soup Cans Into Eco-Friendly Garden Decor

Though they can be recycled, there are other options to repurpose metal cans throughout your home to ensure the materials are truly reused. In fact, it's easier than you may think to turn empty soup cans into garden decor you'll love. With a little string and several soup cans of various sizes, you'll be able to create a fun and unique set of eco-friendly windchimes for your garden, yard, or patio. While leaving the cans plain or with their labels on creates an interesting, rustic look, you can customize them to match the existing decor in your garden. Paint, patterned paper, and washi tape are all easy ways to decorate your metal food cans.

Depending on the style of your garden, there are a few genius ideas to repurpose empty soup cans into garden windchimes. For example, a tiered windchime can be made with cans of descending sizes that are nestled inside each other. Alternatively, hang the cans in a group for a different style. The style of chimes you craft will vary based on the sizes and shapes of the soup cans you're working with. With a little imagination, twine, and a few metal cans from your recycling bin, you can alter this project however you like to create the perfect environmentally-friendly windchimes for your space. Before starting this DIY, thoroughly wash your soup or other metal cans to remove any leftover food or broth.

Before assembling your windchimes, decorate your soup cans to add a bit of color and spruce up your outdoor space. Painting the cans all the same color, different colors, or with a unique design can give your windchimes an adorable look. Alternatively, patterned fabric or paper can also be wrapped around the metal with Mod Podge for an easy way to get a more intricate design. Covering the metal in decorative tape will also give this project a unique look. Once your cans look beautiful, seal them to protect your paint or decoupage from the weather. Now, it's time to arrange the soup cans into chimes.

Poke a hole through the bottom of each can with a drill or a hammer and nail. Thread a long piece of string through the hole in your largest can, letting some dangle out of the bottom of the can to hang your windchimes later. Tie a knot in the string where you want the soup can to sit. Now, repeat this process, adding smaller cans as you continue tying knots to keep each can slightly inside of the previous can. This creates your tiered look of upside down cans, and could be completed with two to four food cans. Alternatively, string each can individually. Attach the ends of the twine to a board or tie them together to hang your chimes. Tie accents like beads or jar lids onto the remaining string.