Painted Red Hat Ornaments

At our last Red Hat Ladies' luncheon, one member pulled out a plastic bag full of cleaned and de-labled CAT FOOD CANS.  An environmentalist before most of us, Mary challenged us to create Christmas ornaments for the tree our group is sponsoring this season.  I jumped at the chance and grabbed a few.

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that inspiration would come once I began work.  First thing was to remove any residual glue (WD-40 works well) then wash the cans again.

Roughen up the outside of the cans with sandpaper (any type will do the trick), just enough to scuff them a bit.  This helps the paint stick, because paint has difficulty adhering to a slick surface.  Priming the cans is desirable, but if you don't have any don't worry too much since you've already scuffed the cans.  Base coat the cans white. I use Jo Sonja acrylic paints, but any craft paint will work.

At this point use a pointed object to poke a small hole through the can in the center, just big enough to string the ornaments later. I used an over sized pushpin, but an awl or similar object would also work.  The cans aren't very thick.

Now it's time to use your imagination when it comes to decorating your can. They can be painted of course, but if you're not handy with a brush just paint the can any background color then start decorating.  Glue on small beads, decoupage tiny pictures (the 12 Days of Christmas?), draw with glitter pens! Let your imagination go wild.

After painting I brushed on some clear varnish and sprinkled with glitter.

I used some common twine for the ornament hangers. Double a piece twice the length you want the ornament to hang; plus some extra for the knot (not shown).  Push or twist the twine through the hole you made from the inside.  Tie a good knot, because you won't be able to fix it later.

I took a bit of batting I had on hand, but you could also use cotton to fill the hats.  I then cut small pieces of burlap large enough to cover the filling and push into the sides of the can.  Don't skimp on the fabric. Cut one piece to see if it fits, then you'll know for the rest.  If you don't have burlap you can use anything else you have around the  house...old tee-shirts, red bandanas...you get the idea.

Run a bead of craft glue around the edge to keep the stuffing and fabric in place. I added a small piece of leather trim around the edges.  It's not necessary but makes a nice finish. Feathers and tiny beads complete the look.

Finally, I packed the ornaments in little snack bags to keep them looking FRESH until they get on the tree.  

This project is tailor-made for kids!

Here's the final Red Hat Ladies entry for the Medford Armory Festival of Trees.