Smashed Soda Can Animals

A smashed soda or aluminum can becomes a funny cow, pig or bear. This is fun activity by Heidi Borchers of Inspired at Home and a great way to teach kids about recycling. For more great crafts for kids, check out our 22 Summer Crafts for Kids eBook.
 

Materials (for 3 animals):

• 3 aluminum soda or cola cans
• Matte spray paint: peach, white, brown
• Acrylic paints: peach, lavender, turquoise, rose, yellow, white, brown
• Paintbrushes
• Cotton swab (cotton removed from one end)
• Scraps of felt: off-white, tan, brown, rose, red, black, pink, white
• Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue™
• Scrap of black paper
• 1/8” diameter hole punch
• 2 (3/8”) wiggle eyes
• 1/16” wide satin ribbon: 1 (8”) length lavender
• 2 (1/2” diameter) brown bear eyes
• Fine-tip permanent black marker
• 12” length of ¼” wide print ribbon
• 2 (1/4” diameter) black beads
• Patterns

Instructions:

1. Referring to photo for shapes, use your hands to gently flatten 1 can across the center, keeping opening on top in position for mouth. Then use your foot to slowly crush top and bottom of can, being sure to maintain proper positioning of opening. Repeat with remaining cans. Spray paint each can with 1 coat of spray paint. Let dry. Using acrylic paints, paint each can with a second coat of paint. Let dry. For pig, paint flowers on can by removing cotton from one end of cotton swab. Dip end into paint and dot on the flower center and petals, referring to photo for colors. Let dry.
    
2. Transfer patterns to felt and cut the following. For pig: from off-white, cut 1 tail, 1 legs piece, 2 ears, and 1 nose; from tan, cut 4 hooves. For bear: from brown, cut 2 arms, 2 ears, 1 snout, and 2 feet; from rose, cut 2 cheeks; from red, cut 1 tongue; from tan, cut paw pads for each foot; from black, cut 1 nose. For cow: from black, cut 1 tail and 4 hooves; from pink, cut 2 cheeks and 2 inner ears; from white, cut 1 horn/ear piece and 1 legs piece. From remaining black felt, refer to photo to cut 5 spots.
    
3. For pig, curl tail piece and glue in place. Referring to photo, glue remaining felt pieces in place. Punch 2 black paper pieces for nostrils and glue in place. From black paper, cut and fringe 2 small squares for eyelashes; glue in place. Glue wiggle eyes in place. Tie lavender ribbon in bow and glue in place. Let dry.
   
   
    
4. For bear, slightly overlap edges of slit on each ear and glue ears in place. Referring to photo, glue remaining felt pieces and eyes in place. Using marker, draw a line down center of snout (see photo). Tie print ribbon into bow and glue in place. Let dry.
   
   
    
5. For cow, referring to photo, glue felt pieces in place. Punch 2 black paper pieces for nostrils and glue in place. Glue black beads in place for eyes.
   
   

   

Heidi’s Designer Tip: For a cute addition to the cow, tie a jingle bell onto center of 8” piece of narrow ribbon. Tie ribbon in bow and glue in place under cow’s neck.