Earth Day - Punched Tin Art Recycling an Ovaltine Container Part 1

This is my first craft working with recycled tin. And, I love how it turned out. I acquired my tin by prying it off the bottom of an ovaltine container. But I am guessing that there are a lot of other containers that use tin in their packaging. The easiest way to find out if a material is aluminum or tin is to check it with a magnet. A magnet will stick to tin but not to aluminum.

Materials Needed:
Tin
Needle Nose Pliers
Tin Snips (may or not be needed dependent on the packaging)
Nail
Hammer

Instructions:
Find a container with tin on the bottom. I used a large ovaltine container.

Cut or pry the tin bottom off the rest of the container. Use needle nose pliers to bend over any sharp edges.
Design your pattern on your tin. I was pretty basic with my pattern. But with a more ornate pattern you might want to use a stencil or draw your pattern on with a pencil.

Place your tin on a hard protected surface. I used a large butcher block. Begin to hammer your nail through the tin. Make the hole spaces as close or as far apart as you want.

Hammer a hole at the top of your tin to hang your tin piece (if you want). Had ribbon or any other accents to your tin piece.

Enjoy, your recycled piece of art!

Tips & Hints:
Work with safety gloves when cutting tin.

Tin has very sharp edges so be very careful!

This is not a craft that is meant for children.

The back of the tin is very rough. Do not place your tin piece down on a finish surface or it will make scratches.

Directory of Earth Day and Recycled Crafts