Up-Cycle Your Old Biscuit Tubs

Using just a few bits and pieces, you can give your old biscuit tubs a make-over!

After a while, re-used tubs and containers can look a little tatty - so why not make them look a little nicer! This method is so simple...

You will need:

Your biscuit/sweets tub, tissue paper, PVA glue, paints and brushes. Yes, that's it!

You will need three paint colours:

• one that is the same colour as your tub
• paint for your finished colour e.g. orange
• a lighter shade of your finished colour e.g. pale orange or yellow

You could also have the lid and container different colours as I have chosen to do.

I would recommend that the final colour you choose for the outside compliments the inside colour of the tub. Also, your tissue paper would work best if it is a similar colour either to the tub, or to your final colour choice.

First of all, you will need to cover all labels on your tub with paint. The paint does not need to be an exact colour match to your tub, but the closer the better.

This gives your a clean slate to start with and ensures that none of the text or images show through your tissue paper later.

Take your sheet of tissue paper, and scrunch it into a tight ball. This will crease the tissue paper, and give you a nice crinkled effect to your final tub.

Flatten out the tissue paper and tear into several pieces.

Using your PVA glue, first cover your lid with the tissue paper. Only cover the outside of the lid, leaving the inside the original colour.

Turn your tub part of your container upside-down, and cover the side and base with tissue paper. Again, leave the inside of the tub alone.

Cut away any tissue that overhangs the lid and the tub to neaten up the edges. Allow to dry.

Paint your lid and tub all over, leaving any part that isn't covered in tissue paper.

Once both parts are completely dry, start with the lid. Take your lighter colour and dip in your brush - the brush will need to be dry. Remove most of the paint from your brush by painting it onto some scrap paper and with your small amount of remaining paint, brush lightly across your tissue paper surface. The lighter paint will highlight all of the creases from the tissue paper.

Repeat with your tub section of the container. If your tub is a different colour to your lid, make sure to use a lighter version of the new colour, and not the colour used on the lid.

Your old container now has a new lease of life!

Next week I'll show you how to decorate your candles, and make a homemade dog toy out of fleece.

See you then!

Sian