Tea Tin Upcycle

On Saturday, I was cleaning out our tea cupboard... getting rid of some expired tea (I didn't realize that dried leaves could have an expiration, but apparently they do), and compiling tins of like tea together. All this to say, once I was done, the cupboard didn't really seem to have that much more room- but isn't that always the way with cleaning? Out of the process, I ended up with an empty tin that used to hold a mint tea:

Were it a cardboard box, I might've had the heart to recycle it. But, it just seemed to be the perfect shape and size to be useful, so I put my brain to work.

Immediately, I thought of Hazel's play kitchen. She has a few measuring spoons and cooking tools that don't really have a home. I've considered hanging some hooks on the side to hang these items from, but it seems like a bit of safety hazard, and I'm having trouble finding cup hooks that fit these tools. Enter the tea tin: it's the perfect size to house these items, and will make clean up quicker than having to re-hook every item on.

I peeled the label off carefully to reveal a silver-like finish underneath. It looked decent with the kitchen, but seemed to lack some character. I rummaged through my scrapbook paper (which, I seldom use for scrapbooking), and found this one sheet that incorporated the orange and brown tones of the kitchen perfectly (and had a bit of yellow too!). The colors and patterns had this vintage feel about it, and it seemed to be the perfect choice.

Attaching the paper was a cinch: I simply cut it to fit, pasted the entire tin's exterior with Mod Podge, and slowly pressed the paper on for a smooth finish. Done. 

I cannot believe that the same tin can is hiding underneath that gorgeous paper! And as a utensil holder, it fits so well into the look of the play kitchen.

The project took me about 5-10 minutes to complete, and was the perfect little distraction while I was coloring my hair. Hazel loved the new addition to her kitchen, and it's a cute way to organize her things. And so, another tea tin has been rescued from the dump, and has simply shifted from our cupboard into a new home as part of a play kitchen set.