today’s final diy project (and the project before!) comes from kate pruitt, an artist based in oakland california. kate’s diy crafty-ness landed her in the finalist roundup (twice!) for the 2008 diy contest and today she’s sharing a new project: canister makeovers. kate will be joining us while derek and lauren are on posting-vacation so i hope you’ll help me welcome her to the site! her introduction, material list and instructions are below, just click here for kate’s full post or click “read more” below. thanks, kate!

from kate: i love everything about candy stores, but i think it’s the endless, neatly lined rows of glass jars that appeal to me most. i wanted to recreate that aesthetic at home but give them a little more color. we use these to store our pastas, rice and other dry groceries, but you could use these in craft rooms, offices, stores, etc. or fill them with candy! the steps for this project are simple and perfect for a weekend activity. click here for the full project!

Kate’s Canister Makeover

What You’ll Need:

-glass candy jars with lid (these are inexpensive versions from target. you can also use vintage ones, just try to find canisters where the handle on the lid is screwed in, rather than welded or glued)
-fabric
-glue – fabric glue, rubber cement, elmers (whatever you prefer working with)
-phillips head screw driver
-decorative knobs (if they don’t come with it, you need a nut that fits the knob)
-foam brush or mini roller
-scissors

Directions:

1. Use the screwdriver to remove the existing metal handle from the canister lid.

2. Trace the lid onto the fabric, making the circle about two inches larger in diameter than the lid so you have enough to fold over the sides. If your fabric isn’t a continuous pattern you may want to think about how the pattern will line up when you glue it onto the lid and trace your circle accordingly.

3. Using the brush or roller, spread a thin even layer of glue over the top of the lid and place the fabric on top, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles.

4. Spread glue on the sides and carefully fold the fabric so it is tight over the sides. You can cut small slits in the fabric to have the fabric flatten more evenly.

5. Spread glue on the inside of the lid’s rim and tuck the fabric under. Let dry. Snip any excess fabric and re-flatten. Let dry.

6. When dry, find the hole in the metal lid with your fingers and poke through the fabric and the hole with an awl or a small knife. Place the knob through and tighten with the included hardware or the right size nut.

7. Use goo-gone or other cleaner to remove any extra glue on the inside of the lid.