If You Have Tin Cans And Popsicle Sticks, You Can Make The Cutest Storage Container

You can never have enough storage — but who wants to spend their hard-earned cash on it? How boring. Unfortunately, extra storage is necessary, especially if the bathroom counter is covered in brushes or your kitchen utensils are overflowing their drawer, causing a jam when you go to open or close it. Before you run to the store and convince yourself you need yet another plastic organizer, check your recycling bin and craft stash to try your hand at this adorable DIY storage container from TikTok creator yusmariserrano. With an empty tin can and a handful of popsicle sticks, you can turn an old food container into stylish countertop storage that gives all your extra goodies a home.

This DIY will disguise the metal tin and its unfinished edges with popsicle sticks and fabric, giving the container a quaint cottage-y vibe. You can totally make this your own by adding elements like faux flowers or maybe some jute rope, choosing fabric and paint to match whatever decor style you're going for. Depending on the can's size, the finished container could hold anything from makeup brushes and pens to kitchen utensils or rolled washcloths. With so many ways to reuse old tin cans for countertop storage, you can make a different version for each room.

For this project, you will need a few craft supplies, but we bet you already have a lot of these at home. Grab a dry tin, enough craft sticks to go around it, a hot glue gun, paint, fabric scraps, ribbon trim, and any artificial flowers or appliques you want to add. You'll also need scissors and a clear craft sealer, such as Mod Podge, to protect the painted sticks from everyday wear and tear.

Before you start gluing anything down, stand a popsicle stick against your tin can to make sure it's the right size and cut them down as needed. A smart way to repurpose an empty soup can is to use it to store pencils on your desk, whereas something larger, like a coffee can, could be used for hairbrushes or kitchen utensils. Whatever you decide, start by placing the sticks' ends flush with the base of the can so the container sits flat, then hot-glue them vertically around the outside, one right against the other. Paint the popsicle sticks with acrylic white paint (or whichever color suits the space it'll live in). You could even paint a design on the outside if that calls to you.

Apply a clear acrylic brush-on or spray sealer to protect the paint after it's dry. Next, cover the exposed metal at the top with a piece of fabric, folding it over the rim of the can and hot-gluing it inside for a finished edge. Tidy the look by concealing the seam where the fabric meets the sticks with ribbon or something similar.

Now comes the fun part. Add faux flowers and leaves on one side for a cottage-inspired look, or adhere butterfly appliqués for something playful. Bedazzling is another trend you could follow, using E6000 adhesive to glue rhinestones on the outside. To achieve more of a seaside vibe, add rope trim and pair it with pale blue paint and shells. There are plenty of ways you could decorate this project — you could also skip the embellishments altogether and let the painted wood do the decorating.