DIY Crafts: Ten Ways to Repurpose an Altoids Tin

Altoids tins are icons of upcycling. Even folks who aren’t into DIY crafts often reuse these handy containers for things like storing change or organizing small knick knacks. With a little bit of crafty love, you can turn that humble Altoids container into all sorts of fun creations!

10 DIY Crafts for Old Altoids Tins

1. To Go Candle

If you’ve got a bunch of old candles that have seen better days, you can recycle that old wax into a new one! Just get a couple of new tealight-sized wicks, place them in your Altoids tin, and melt and pour the remaining wax right in. Green Upgrader shows you more on recycling old candles.

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by akanekal]

2. Make a Spice Box

Spice boxes are part of the Jewish ritual of Havdalah. If you’re not Jewish, you could also fill your decorated tin with herbs like lavender for home made potpourri or with hand-mixed chai tea!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by wiredwitch]

3. Steampunk Altoid Tin

There are so many ways to turn that tin into a piece of art, and I just love this steampunk version!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by telltaleheart]

4. Portable Games Chest

Decorate the outside with a gaming-related collage, toss in some dice, cards, poker chips, and a mini notebook, and you’ve got games to go!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by airship]

5. Make a Mini Toolbox

Over at Shoplet, they walk you through how to transform Altoid tins into cute, miniature tool boxes. What a great gift for a fellow crafter or handy fella in your life!

[Image Credit: Photo via Shoplet]

6. More Altered Art

Don’t you love this whimsical Flying Circus DYI crafts piece? You can learn more about how Karen Burene makes these over at How Stuff Works.

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by chaoticartworks]

7. Magnet Box

Marble magnets are another ubiquitous DIY crafts project. How fun would it be to package your magnets in a sweet, customized Altoids tin?

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by sarabbit]

8. Recycled Advent Calendar

I know, it’s a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but this was too cute to pass up! Find the deets over at Sassy Crafter.

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by Sassy Crafter]

9. Miniature Zen Garden

Some clay, simple stones, and a couple of leaves transform an Altoids tin into a portable bit of Zen!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by cheshirekat]

10. Paperclip iPod Stand

With a couple of dremel holes and some crafty paperclip folding, turn your reclaimed Altoids tin into a nifty stand for your iPhone.

Do you guys have any fun Altoids DIY crafts projects? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by englishinvader]