When your kids have finished off the paint in those little plastic containers, what do you do with them? Throw them away? Use them for more paint? Store tiny items in them? How about making these darling little magnets!
By Amanda Formaro
What You Need:
These items will cover all three different types of crafts mentioned here. If additional items are needed, they will be noted on that particular craft.
- empty plastic paint containers
- large colorful pom poms
- google eyes
- magnet strips cut into 1 inch pieces
- tacky or hot glue
For all the crafts, the paint containers should be cleaned out and allowed to dry. Usually these containers come connected together. Simply separate them by cutting them apart with scissors and trim the excess plastic on the sides and front of lid.
What You Do:
Oscar the Grouch & Elmo in a Can
Traditionally, Oscar in a Can has been made with empty film canisters. These plastic paint containers are the perfect size for play sets, game boards, or how we used them, as refrigerator magnets.
Put a blob of glue in the bottom of the paint container. Stuff a pom pom inside the container and press down for a moment to seal. To the lid, glue another pom pom of the same color. Next close the lid until the two pom poms meet, raise the lid enough to apply some glue where the two meet, then hold back together to adhere. Glue on google eyes. To the back of the container, glue a 1″ magnet strip. If need be, trim the excess plastic from the connector between the lid and the container itself.
Chick & Bunny
- small piece of each pink and orange construction paper
- small piece of white paper for teeth
- fabric or felt for bunny ears
Follow instructions for Oscar above, using pink pom poms for bunny and yellow for the chick.
For the bunny, cut a small triangle from the pink construction paper and glue in between and below the eyes. Below that glue a small rectangle of white paper for teeth (draw a line down the center to give the appearance of two rabbit teeth). Using pink felt or a patterned fabric, cut and roll up 2 strips for ears and glue in place.
For the chick, cut a small diamond shape from the orange construction paper, fold in half to form beak, glue in place.
Flower Pot
- 3 silk daisies
- pink twisted paper
- 3 small green pom poms
Put a blob of glue in the bottom of the paint container. Stuff a large brown pom pom inside the container and press down for a moment to seal. Glue a large green pom pom on top of the brown pom pom. To the lid, glue 3 small green pom poms. Glue three silk flowers over the small pom poms. Untwist a 12″ long piece of twisted paper. Trim to 3/4″ wide. Tie around the paint container and manipulate into a bow. Glue magnet strips to the back of the container and the back of the lid.
