Recycling Cookie Tins

I love the old flat cookies tins that you see nearly on a daily basis at thrift stores. They are so versatile in how you can recycle them. Around the holidays, the tins seem to show up everywhere. Often, just after the holiday when the cookies and treats are gone the tins end up in landfills or thrift stores. If you have some of these tins laying around unused, here are a few ideas to hopefully inspire you in ways to use them.

Storage container for sewing notions or other craft supplies. I love the fact that you can store items that you don't want little hands to play with! The tins have snug fitting lids that are difficult for little ones to open, which makes them a good option for storing things like glitter, stamp inks, acrylic paints, etc.

Cookie tins make a nice travel crafting kit. As long as your embroidery hoop is smaller than the cookie tin, you can carry an embroidery project, threads, and any other supplies needed. This can also be done with hand applique or piece work for quilt blocks, scrapbook paper piecings, or other crafts.

First Aid Kit ~ whether you use a small tin to makea kit for your backpack or a larger one for an emergency preparedness kit, the tins make a nice waterproof container for storing bandages and other supplies.

Mini Sewing Kit ~ The small tins are prefect sized for storing your sewing kit in the car, suitcase when traveling, or in your desk at work. Load up some sewing machine bobbins with the colors of thread you would most often need. Add a small piece of material to hold the sewing needles, a few buttons, small pair of scissors, and a needle threader and your kit is ready.

Stationary Kit ~ In a large flat tin, you can store a few blank note cards, a small address book, stamps, and a pen. The tin can be used as a make-shift lap desk if needed.

When painted and decorated the tins can made into gift packaging for special occassions. There are so many uses for them. You are limited only by your imagination.

What uses can you think of for the tins? Do you use them in your home? I would love to hear about what you do with them.