What to do with Extra #10 Food Storage Cans

Posted on June 4th, 2009 by Jodi and Julie

Last week we asked you guys what you are doing with those extra #10 cans you have lying around (now that we’re all USING our food storage). Well we had some great ideas and wanted to share them with you. You guys are so awesome and we appreciate you sharing your experience and creativity!

How to “reuse” your #10 cans

  • Decorate them with printed paper, ribbon, and anything else to make them cute. FIll them with fun stuff (candy, lotion, soaps, etc.) and give them out as presents.
  • Decorate them and then fill them with flowers for center pieces at a party.
  • Use them to store all sorts of things like flour, and wheat from the big plastic buckets, trail mix, homemade crackers, gluten flour, etc.
  • Have your kids decorate them and make drums out of them.
  • You can use them to store buttons, sewing, pencils, crayons etc.
  • Make tin can ice cream in them.
  • Refalange it! (I’m not sure that’s how you spell it). There is a falanger which will take that rim off the top of the can and make it ready to seal again.
  • Put your first aid kit in it, and put it in your 72 hour kit (with a lid).
  • Put vitamins, hair ribbons, cooking spoons, or rolled napkins with silverware for picnics in them.
  • Put contact paper on the outside to make it more decorative.
  • Recycle them!
  • Use it for pre-made mixes in your fridge.
  • Use your #10 cans as containers for gifts –maybe an FHE kit all containing contents all about food storage.
  • Use them to put nails, screws, and other small objects. They help keep things cleaner in a shop or garage.
  • Use them while changing the oil in dirt bikes or the car.
  • Take #10 cans and paint them to match your kitchen. Then make vinyl stickers to label the contents of each can. They are decorative as well as FUNCTIONAL! Refill out of big buckets when needed!

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Thanks again to everyone who shared their ideas with us. Please feel free to leave a comment with any more ideas you might have. The more of your ideas we read, the more excited we got to try some of these out ourselves!




Technorati Tags: #10 cans, creative ideas, food storage

Filed under: General, Gift Ideas, Helpful Tools, Long Term Food Storage, Shelves

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  • Esther
    Turn you #10 cans into Berry Picking Cans. Just punch two holes near the top rim opposite of each other with a nail and hammer. Place a 2x4 inside the can and hammer nails from the outside. Be sure to tap the inside of the hole to get rid of sharp edges. Thread through some twine or rope to your desired length, waist high is easiest for me. Make one for each member of the family and have fun harvesting wild berries!
  • Rayann
    Open both ends using a regular can opener, use the pointed end of a "church key" type opener to make holes all around the bottom, and use as a charcoal starter. It's good for starting up the barbecue with only 2 sheets of newspaper! Works fast, too!
  • Rayann
    Sorry, didn't see that someone already posted this.
  • Carrie Levonius
    You could fill the bottom inch or so with sand after punching holes in the side in a decorative design. With them weighted with sand place a candle in the bottom and light it. These would make great path lights and luminarias for special holidays and Christmas.
  • Another use with both ends cut out is as a charcoal chimney fire starter. Just punch some holes around the "bottom" with a churchkey-type can opener, for ventilation. Put some crumpled up paper or some other fire starter in with a few coals at the bottom, then put some more charcoal on top. Finally, have some tongs available to remove the can when the coals are going well. You can light the firestarter(s) through the ventilation holes.
  • The reason for the churchkey-type can opener, that's the type which creates a triangle opening, is that it creates a little larger hole than most other types of punches.
    You may need to use pliers to fold the flaps down against the edge of the can, for safety reasons.
  • I make my own cleaners and my favorite is I make my own commercial wipes. I have found that #10 cans with the fitted plastic lid with a slit cut in it make great wipe holders.
  • How do you make your own commercial wipes? Do you use regular paper towels, or something else?
  • what about using them to cook in over a camping fire?
  • You can use them as a pan, saucepan, etc, but you have to be extra careful since you don't have a regular handle and you could burn yourself.
    You can use them to carry food or utensils, just make sure that it isn't top heavy.
    You can make them into a stove (see Hobo stove in earlier posts)
    You can use them for water or dirt for fire safety.
    You can think of other uses, using your own creativity.
  • Katie
    You know how hard it can be to fill plastic bags, especially with liquid, right? Well, if you put the bag into the can and fold the top down over the can then the bag will stay open and upright while you pour/scoop stuff into it!
  • Tracy in SC
    I'd love more information on the flanger if anyone has some. I've heard that this is possible, but have no idea where to start looking for an apparatus like that. I have a friend who said their old stake had one, and anyone could sign up to use it, just like the normal canning machine. Thanks, oh wise ones!
  • Rita
    I use # 10 cans with both end cut out in the ground around my tomato plants. When I water my tomatoes, I fill the can with water and then I am sure that each plant gets a good watering.
  • If you left a lot of it above ground, it could also help support the lower stems.
  • What about using them for the portable heaters for your vehicles? The ones with the t.p. rolls and the rubbing alcohol.
  • This sounds interesting. More information, please.
  • cc
    I have asked this before but thought I would reiterate here since I would love to see this picture and know what you did with these cans....but once again it is not a big enough picture.. I was hoping that you had read my comment before on the small storage space one that you can post a large picture that is small on your page but that you can click on and see a large version so you can see the details.
    It would be appreciated ....thanks
  • Beware of sharp edges on the #10 cans. After you open them, take the bowl side of a strudy metal tablespoon and run it against the inside edge of the can to assure that there are no sharp edges that can hurt you or your precious children. (I speak from experience, by the way.)
  • I have mainly switched over to a can opener that cuts from the side, so there isn't a sharp edge in the can itself. I only use the old-fashioned can opener if I want to use the lid to help strain the contents.
  • Those are wonderful ideas! TY for sharing them with us. I remember when my daughter was a baby and I was still buying premade baby food. I had no idea what to do with those baby food jars..I came up with some clever uses too:) It's amazing what you can think of when surrounding with some great material and hate to see it wasted. They became snowglobes, condiment holder for my husband's lunch, and an idea from the tight wad gazette...spice jar holders under my cabinet:) So I look forward to using some of the bigger cans now.
  • JG
    One idea I love is to fill the cans full of water, find a pattern of stars, tree, etc. Lay your pattern on the side of the frozen can, take a small nail and tap thru the design making pin holes. Then when the ice is thawed, dry the can and put votives in them. I hope I explained this well.
  • JG
    oops, I forgot to say freeze the water first, then punch the holes :-)
  • I have seen this before for a Christmas decoration, though it doesn't need to be limited to any one holiday.

    Thanks for the reminder.

    May want to use the metal spoon idea to reduce the sharp edges inside, making it a little safer, just make sure to not close up the holes. Plus some sand or other weight in the bottom, to keep it from possibly tipping over.
  • Elaine
    It is a flanger because you are creating a new flanger.
    Great ideas.
  • Savings Queen
    My many uses include: Pencils, crayons, sissors, crafts.

    One year my son cut all kinds of misc. fabric and glued it to the can and gave it to me for mothers day.. We still use it.

    I love to do the Make A Mixes and use old #10 can for them. I just re-lable the top of the lid and write on the side with a sharpie.

    We LOVE LOVE LOVE to make Ice cream in a #10 can and even did it once while it was straped to the back of a four wheeler on the sand dunes. We enjoyed Ice cream in the heat at the top of the sand dunes. We also took it hiking in the Wastach Front Mountains and enjoyed a cool treat while enjoying nature.

    Some of my favs.....
    www.thesavingsqueenshow.com
    www.tjesavingsqueen.blogspot.com
  • Such creative ideas! Who knew :)
  • DJ
    Wow thanks girls for putting this together. I will use some of those great ideas! I am also working on making a birdhouse out some of them.
  • I know this is late but I just had to share! Take as many cans as you would like and screw them together in what ever design you would like and spray paint them. Hang on your childs wall and they make a really cool shelving unit that your child(or you) can store there precious things in! Try making a flower for girls or the first letter in their name.
  • Jennifer Kelly
    I really really like the one about the ice cream a great activity for young ones to participate and witness the magic!

    Thanks for the creativity!
  • Brenda in Minnesota
    Make them into hobo stoves!
  • Ana
    Has anyone else ever had trouble opening them? My can opener doesn't seem strong enough, and I'm just hacking them open on one side, bending it a little, then pouring the wheat out of them (I only recently started buying them). The end result is obviously not nice enough to do much with except toss in the recycle bin. Any solution?
  • For a hand-style can opener, you can't beat the OXO brand. Look for one with cushy handles. I have arthritis and these can openers are easy for me to use.
  • Ana, I just use a regular hand can opener and it works just fine. Are you trying to use an electric one?
  • Anna
  • This is also known as a Hobo Stove. You use it with a buddy burner (tuna can with cardboard & paraffin wax) for the heat source.
  • gaby
    WOW!!!! EXCELLENT IDEAS THANK YOU!!!!!!!

    NOW I KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.!!!
  • You missed one of my favorites. Take two cans, drill two small holes on each side near the bottom of the can, and put string through them. The kids can then turn them upside down, hold onto the string and use them as stilts.
  • allisonc
    Have did this one and children love it. Always want to make new ones every time.
  • Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy
    Oh Sam. I remember doing that with empty apple juice cans as a kid. I completely forgot about the joys of homemade stilts. I just got inspired to make a fun activity for my kids tonight :)
  • rachael C
    Great ideas. I have a ton of empty #10's I've been hanging on to wondering what to do with them. Now I know. Thanks
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