Recycle Your Hot Chocolate Tins and Be Organized!

Starting my year off right with one of my resolutions....a reused/recycled project.  This is a scissor/tool organizer from reused hot chocolate containers.

​ Read more to see the versatility of this project.  

From This

To This

We are in the "thick" of hot chocolate season and there is no better beverage than a cup of steamy,sweet,delicious hot chocolate after all that snow shovelling!  The City of Waterloo experienced the most snowfall in December 2016 compared to many years before.  I now consider myself an authority on hot chocolate consumption!

If you have kids or grandkids, you may even go through more hot chocolate than we do.

This project is a way to start of the year gently with a project that is easy, very useful and involves reusing and recycling and there is no sewing required!

This project is a no brainer and I can thank my sister Alison for the idea. Thanks Alison!
Originally, Alison gave me the idea of making an eye glass organizer with these empty containers.  If you are like us and at an age when we have multiple drug store glasses everywhere, then you would find this idea useful.

​See the picture below: 

The above eye glass organizer is made with an empty hot chocolate container, 4 toilet paper rolls and decorative "Duck" brand tape. It sits on the desk in my kitchen at all times and I have found it to be a great go to spot to keep my many pairs of classes (I actually think I need one in every room in the house and I am working on it).

​

There are some cool craft projects on the Duck brand website check it out here

Don't you just love the above "quilty" pattern?  I am truly obsessed!  Sorry, I cannot find the source for this but I think I purchased it at Walmart?

To make the striped scissor/tool organizer shown  you will need:

A hot chocolate container 12 1/2" (32 cm) diameter and 5" (13cm) tall, strips of fabric 14" long (cut with a pinking shear or wavy rotary blade), 4 toilet paper rolls and...

Cheap school glue and a paint brush to apply the glue.

The inspiration for the colours in this hot chocolate container/organizer was  fabric for roman shades I am making for my sewing studio see the fabric below:

Isn't it pretty? Stay tuned for a show and tell of my roman shades in the very near future!

How to make it:
1) Tear the label off your hot chocolate container and recycle the paper! If you cannot get the paper off thats ok as it will get covered. The fabric nd glue will just adhere better to the matte cardboard.

2) Start adding the strips by putting a dab of glue on the back center of your container and on the top of the strip and wrap it around over lapping it slightly, hold the fabric for a minute until it starts to feel like its holding.

​ It is that simple!

3) Keep adding strips until your container is covered with fabric

4) Insert 4 toilet rolls inside- they will fit tightly and may distort somewhat but thats ok, they are just there to support your tools and will not show once you have your container filled.

5) Fill it with tools such as scissors, rotary cutters, small rulers, pens, pencils, markers, craft supplies etc.

 (*What to do with the plastic lid?  It makes a great round plastic template for a circular applique or cut it up into shapes as a piecing template*

You have now recycled something, avoided the landfill and made a new purpose for it!

Make this in colours to suit your sewing room.
​I hope you enjoy this quick and easy project.

Happy Tuesday! 😊

This just in! (10:24 am Tuesday January 10th) Mabsy has sent me 2 pictures of recycle containers she made with dollar store sparkle gems!  See below:

Way to go Mabsy! These are beautiful with the "bling" on them. Another unique way to look at this project.  Thanks For Sharing!

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