There are so many ways to upcycle Altoids tins that you will never throw one out again!
Over Spring Break, my Girl Scout troop traveled to Boston. Because Girl Scouts can’t even fly across the country without doing a craft project, my Girl Scout troop spent our evenings, after throwing tea overboard into Boston Harbor and eating Boston Cream doughnuts in the North End, making and playing travel games together. We made tiny little chess games and Go games and pentomino sets… and we had a craft night to upcycle Altoids tins to put them in!
Since then, my mind has been truly turned on to all the glorious ways that one can upcycle Altoids tins. I’ve been begging them off of all the mint fiends in my life so I can make myself more little shadow boxes and organizers and a million other things. Thank goodness for Freecycle, because the mint afficionados in my life cannot keep up!
Here are my current favorite ways to upcycle Altoids tins, because if I can’t beat my upcycling obsession, I might as well get you to join me!
Ways to Upcycle Altoids Tins at Home
Advent calendar. Upcycled Altoids tins make such a clever Advent or countdown calendar for any special date. Put treats or little notes inside each tin, and decorate the snot out of them!
fabric scrap doll kit. This is such a great way to upcycle all your tiniest fabric scraps! A pair of thread scissors would work well with this kit.
gift box. Paint or decoupage an Altoids tin into a simple and reusable gift box for your tiniest gifts.
tooth fairy tin. If I can offer any advice to any newbie parents out there, it is this: DO NOT GO BIG VIA THE TOOTH FAIRY. I know you’re just as excited as your kid is the first time they lose a tooth, but before you try to fit a $20 bill and a LEGO set and a picture book under their pillow, please just Google how many baby teeth are in the typical child’s head. You cannot have both a spendthrift Tooth Fairy AND a 529 plan… unless you can, I guess, but if you can, please have compassion for the rest of us poor parents. This tiny Altoids tin is the perfect size to hold a quarter, because THAT’S what the tooth fairy gives: a quarter. If you really want to wild out on childhood magic your Tooth Fairy can give $2 bills, but only if they’re sprayed with glitter first.
Ways to Upcycle Altoids Tins for Travel
travel baseball game. Travel versions of standard games are always fun, but having a brand-new game that ONLY exists inside this Altoids tin is even more fun!
mini ice skating rink. As a parent who’s spent MANY hours trying to entertain a child waiting for her sibling’s ice skating lesson to finish, I love the idea of a thematically-connected travel toy. You could alter this to fit all kinds of sibling activities!
Altoids tin coloring kit. This DOES make a terrific party favor, but it also makes a terrific travel toy! It would work best on an airplane or in a restaurant, so that the artist has a firm surface to color on.
peg doll playset. I don’t know what it is about peg dolls, but little kids LOVE them! An eensy peg doll playset would fit perfectly into an upcycled Altoids tin.
mini checkers game. My favorite thing about this project is that it’s also a SIMPLIFIED game of checkers! It’s the perfect quick game for those with a shorter time frame… or attention span.
Altoids tin first aid kit. The best part of using an Altoids tin as a first aid kit is that the metal container can keep your stuff from getting crushed. Because nobody wants liquid Benadryl all over their pants!
mini LEGO tin. Kids who like to fiddle with tiny things will LOVE this mini LEGO set in an Altoids tin! Smaller bricks (that won’t break your heart to lose) and a minifigure or two make the perfect setup for travel-sized small-world play.
magnet set. I think that a set of homemade magnets would be a fun travel toy to have anywhere it would be appropriate for a kid to stick magnets. I’m imagining baseball field bleachers, playgrounds, backyard fences, etc.
magnetic fishing game. This is an especially great game because you don’t actually have to play it inside the bounds of the Altoids tin. If you’re out and about but have a bit of room, feel free to spread the fish out and increase the challenge!
business card holder. This is such a great solution to such an annoying little problem! It is VERY handy to have a stash of business cards while out and about, and this upcycled Altoids tin holder keeps them safe and sound even while they’re kicking around the bottom of your backpack. Here’s another Altoids tin business card holder that upcycles sheet music for embellishment.
magnetic Tic-Tac-Toe. Magnetic games make the BEST travel games, and the simpler a game is, the more accessible it is! Older players can add additional challenges like banning certain first moves, and keep score with a dry-erase marker on the inside of the car window.
miniature kitchen set. This is the cutest thing that I’ve ever seen in my life! Kids who love their toy kitchens or tiny things will also LOVE this tiny toy kitchen in an Altoids tin, and you can customize it based on what kind of cooking your kid likes to do. I think a mini bake shop would be adorable!
Do you have a favorite way to upcycle Altoids tins? Tell us about it in the Comments!
