If you give any homemade goodies for Christmas you will love my next guest’s project. Using simple supplies Amanda from Serenity Now changes an ordinary tin into a gift that can be recycled over and and over again by just taking a piece of chalk and writing a new phrase on top of the chalkboard. Please welcome Amanda with her Chalkboard Cookie Tin.
Hello, Infarrantly Creative readers. My name is Amanda and I blog at Serenity Now. Today, I’ll show you how you can easily repurpose an ugly candy or cookie tin and make a gift that will look pretty for Christmas…and the rest of the year too!
Here’s what you need to get started:
Supplies:
An ugly cookie or candy tin (I spent $3.50 on one from Big Lots)
Spray paint in a fun color (I used Krylon’s Ocean Breeze)
Chalkboard Spray Paint
Painter’s Tape
Silhouette Vinyl (optional)
1. This wasn’t a particularly ugly tin, but a little busy for my taste. My first step was to tape off the cute top border on the larger half of the tin. I really pressed down on the edges to keep the paint from bleeding through. 2. I also taped around the inside of the top half of the tin to keep paint off of anything that might touch food.
3. Following the directions on the spray paint bottles, I painted my tin and allowed for drying time.
4. Following Krylon’s instructions, I cured the chalkboard surface by rubbing some chalk across the chalkboard-painted area. 5. (Optional) I used my Silhouette to cut a vinyl “frame” for the top of the tin–a handy spot to write all sorts of messages.
Because I had all of the supplies on hand, I only spent $3.50 on this gift. Vinyl can be pricey, so you could always stencil your own design on the top with some craft paint to save money. I added some tissue paper and wax paper and filled the tin with my homemade Nutella Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread after writing a quick Christmas greeting with a chalkboard pen.
And I love that the tin can easily be used for other things after the holidays have passed…I filled mine with ribbon to give you an idea. You could also use it for tea or cocoa packets, photos, kids’ mementos, stickers, jewelry, buttons, craft supplies–there are so many options!
This would be a fun gift for a teacher, neighbor, or friend. I love this Pennywise Presents series! When times are tough, many of us are on the lookout for affordable gift ideas, and I am so thankful that Beckie invited me to be a part of her series. I hope you’ll visit me at Serenity Now! I blog about crafts, thrifty decorating, recipes, and home life. I also host a weekly Weekend Bloggy Reading party for bloggers to showcase their best post of the week. I’ll be posting about it soon, but I have an exciting new Christmas series coming up at the end of this month–creative tips and tricks geared towards lowering your stress levels this holiday season and bringing you some Serenity (Now) at Home. Beckie might just be stopping by to share a special project. Hope you’ll join me!
