Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Turning Soup Cans Into Pop Art Pencil Cups

Come on, could I pass up a chance to include this SNL clip? The answer is no. No, I couldn’t. In other words: soup, there it is.

Anyway, I’m beginning to think that Friday posts should be called Fast & *Almost* Free Projects since we had Sir Butterfly last week and now we have a little soup can craft that I did in honor of my good friend Andy Warhol (ok, so we’re only besties in my mind…). How cute are these guys holding some of Clara’s drawing supplies on her desk? The colors make me permasmile.

turning-soup-into-pop-art-pencil-cups

The first step was grabbing four of the limited edition tomato soup cans that Target is currently selling in honor of my buddy Andy. At 70 cents a pop, this entire project cost me $2.80 (since I already had the only other material I used on hand, but we’ll get there in a minute). First I emptied my cans of tomato soup into glass tupperware so as not to waste it (it’ll be lunch for the next few days, haha):

Soup 1 Emptying Cans

Then I carefully rinsed them out, doing my best not to soak the labels with water (slow and steady, baby). I let them dry out a bit upside down on a towel and even dragged a paper towel around the inside of each one to make sure no water was hiding in there.

Soup 2 Wiping Dry

Then it was cork templating time. Wait, maybe I should explain that a bit more. The reason for the cork was because each of the cans has an odd little edge about a quarter of an inch down from the top of the can. So while the top lip of the can isn’t sharp at all, there’s that little metal lip about a centimeter beneath it that I worried could result in Clara cutting her hand if she put it into the can and yanked it out quickly. So I did the safety-first mom thing and decided that by making a little cork liner for each can, it would completely cover that little edge that’s a smidge lower than the smooth top lip. The key was making sure the cork was tall enough to go over that lip, so there’s no way a little hand (or tongue, or toe) could rub against that part anymore, because the little cork “sleeve” would extend above it. I actually used a paper towel to make a template, like this:

Soup 3 Fitting Paper Towel

Then I used my paper towel template to cut some cork rectangles of the same size:

Soup 4 Matching Cork Piece

I used old cork squares that I had (leftover from this project) to create the long rectangles that could be gently curled (don’t be too rough with them or they can crack) and slipped right into each can.

Soup 5 Sliding Cork In

Voila. A little cork liner to keep anything from being sharp (they also look pretty charming, like those old cork-lined pen holders of yore). And the cork is super stuck in there once you get it in, so it’s above Clara’s skill level to somehow wedge it back out, which is nice peace of mind for a paranoid momma like myself.

Soup After Close With Cor

So that’s my little $2.80 Friday project. Don’t they look cute next to Clara’s little crayon-truck masterpiece?

Soup After Full Desk

Here’s hoping Clara grows just as fond of my BFF Andy as I have after years of studying him along with my other artsy friends like Klimt, Vermeer, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec (FIT, represent – we were required to take a million years of art history, and only now do I appreciate that).

Any other fast and almost free projects going on this Friday? Any fun weekend plans? Any favorite artists? Oh and since I’m sure folks will ask, those awesome stick-like colored pencils are from a local shop here in Richmond called Mongrel. Since Clara’s three favorite “toys” are rocks, sticks, and sand, I couldn’t resist…

Comments

  1. Ashley says

    Last week, I looked at those cans and said aloud, “I want those…I want to do something with them. I just don’t know what.”

    Thank you…it’s time to go back to Target :)

    Reply

  4. Dianne says

    I imagine Miss CLara will LOVE her new canisters! Part of the fun is taking out and putting back (or maybe NOT putting back).

    You studied at FIT?! Our daughter would love to study at FIT.

    Reply

  8. Tempest says

    Did you think of modge-podging the outsides of the cans so the labels don’t get ruined? I have a two year old myself and i know they probably wouldn’t last too long without some sort of protective coating :)

    Reply

  9. Heather / It's So Suburban says

    That’s awesome! I bought some of those cans last week but hadn’t decided what to do with them. AND I just happen to have some of those stick pencils that I found at Marshall’s that are looking for a home. I’m way to excited about this, obviously.

    Reply

  10. Hilary says

    Awesome! And thanks for including the JT clip! I’m biased because I sort of am obsessed with him, but I think he is top 5 beat SNL host ever! Hilarious!

    Reply

  11. Laura M says

    I love Toulouse-Lautrec :) I’ve been going to art museums since I was little but only recently started appreciating my mom taking me there! Certainly helped in my art history classes!

    Reply

  15. Jas says

    They are super cute! Love the colors, muted goodness!
    Not to be the one to point out typos, but it’s Klimt, one my favorites too ;)

    Reply

  16. Sarah says

    That is SUCH a great idea! And adorable I might add. Now showing off (more or less the lack of putting away!) my pens and pencils won’t be such a terrible idea!

    Reply

  20. A Wife and her Carpenter says

    Also, just for anyone interested in purchasing the colored pencils–who don’t live near Richmond–I have also seen them at anthro and TJMaxx. TJs actually has big ones and little ones.

    LOVE the can idea! Fun, inexpensive, and creative :)

    Reply

  21. Kay says

    Justin Timberlake really needs to give up his music/acting/whatever career and join the cast of SNL.

    In other pertinent news, I will be doing this project immediately!

    Reply

  22. Amber says

    Thanks for posting this! I saw these cans at Target earlier this week and ogled them for a few minutes before my fussy toddler interrupted my plans for what I could do with them. :)

    Reply

  23. Jenna says

    What would you recommend to seal the paper on the outside? My 2 year old would have the most fun peeling the paper off instead of coloring! Do you think mod podge would work the best?

    Reply

  25. Randa says

    So fun!! Did you get the twig pencils from Homegoods? I saw them there a few times and was mighty tempted, though I really don’t need them for our home. Finally got a pack to gift a friend. Somehow I can justify things when they are gifts. Ha ha! :)

    Reply

  27. Amy P says

    I’m glad I’m not the only one that saw these and wanted to do something with them! They are adorable!!!! My friend thought I was weird when I mentioned I wanted them for decorating!

    Reply

  29. Meg says

    I did the same thing with the soup cans minus the cork. By the time the third kid came the need to baby proof everything had faded away. Cork is a good idea though, the cans are a bit sharp for little ones!

    Reply

  30. Ronica says

    Love it! I got some, too, but left them full and put them up on the soffit in my kitchen where I have a little collection of Americana-y kitsch kitchen things that make me happy (vintage tins from groceries, lunchboxes, gumball machine, smurf glass, etc.)

    I would second the mod podging. That will protect them and it could not be easier. Contact paper would be harder to do, but this will soak in and they will last a long time.

    Reply

  32. Suni says

    LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! So funny, I have these cans at home and was trying to think of something to do with them because they are just so dang cute.. and well now I know!!! Guess who’s going to buy cork on her lunch!…this girl. Thanks!

    Reply

  35. Anna-Lisa says

    I looked for these at my Target yesterday and they weren’t carrying them! I’m so sad. I should never have moved to a small town, haha.

    Reply

  36. Sarah K says

    Great use of these adorable cans! I’m sure Clara will love them and they bring a pop of sophistication to the Clara corner! How awesome. I love the idea of modpodge over the labels to help preserve them!

    My most recent project wasn’t exactly free (it came in at $31) but it filled BIG blank spot on our wall, so I think it’s a pretty good price tag. You can check it out here: http://ournextgreatadventure.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/canvas-art-done/

    Sarah

    Reply

  37. Stacey says

    I, too, adore Andy Warhol! He’s my all-time favorite artist. One of my prized possessions is a copy of Interview magazine that he autographed. I’m also lucky to have ‘met’ him…TWICE. The first time was at — of all places — the Duran Duran concert at Madison Square Garden in March of ’84! He was walking past me and I thrust out my hand and said, “it’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Warhol”. He gave a light touch to my hand and said, “thanks”. I about died!!! A few years later, I saw him on a street corner in SoHo and did the same thing w/ the same result. I consider myself VERY fortunate to have met one of my idols. Most people don’t get that opportunity.

    Love the pen holder idea! I’m definitely going to pick up some of those cans so I can do something fun with them in my home!

    Reply

  38. heather s. says

    Marshall’s, TJMaxx and HomeGoods all have those colored pencils that look like pieces of wood. I think about buying them every time I’m in one of those stores but have yet to do so. ;) I’m in love with the cans – I’ve been wondering what else can be done with them since the labels are awesome.

    Reply

  41. Reenie says

    Love those can colors…. I must go get some. And I’m in need of tomato soup since I just cleaned out my out-dated things in my pantry. So cute!

    Reply

  42. Lisa says

    Love it!

    Today is my due date, so my project this weekend would be to hopefully have my baby and not be too far past my due date :)

    Reply

  44. Lesley says

    Being one of Andy Warhol’s BFFs, you know that he was an agent for MIB when he designed the soup can, right? If you are unfamiliar with this plot point in the vast history you studied.

    Watch Men in Black 3 – I will never look at his designs again without wondering… The idea of that and all models actually being aliens makes me howl, an nod my head like it all now makes sense.

    Reply

  45. Erin says

    I just did the same thing with those sweet cans (sans cork)! Those cans are too dang awesome not to be showcased as something functional and decorative.

    Reply

  46. Hollie says

    I love this idea–thanks for sharing! I work at an art museum and these would make such cute containers for my pens, pencils, etc.

    Reply

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