Breaking Down a Tin (for use in jewelry and other crafts)

Upcycling found and thrifted items has been a passion of mine for years. When I started seeing other artists using old cookie tins in their work, I was intrigued. It took me some time to figure it out, and I'm still tweaking my techniques. However, I've had other artists ask how I break down the tin, and I'm always happy to help.

I've got a quick video that shows the process in detail, but here you'll find a good look at the materials and steps. (I'll share the video at the end of this post too.)

First, here are the materials.

The tin of your choice (the shape isn't important), protective gloves, protective eyewear/safety glasses, heavy-duty tin snips, heavy-duty wire cutters, and my favorite tin snips. 

Let me go ahead and admit that my first step(s) isn't completely necessary to begin with and can be done at the end. But, I start by locating the seam inside the tin. 

Then, I use my heavy-duty tin snips to cut the rolled edge and down the side of the seam.

(Those are the steps that can wait if you want.)

From there, use your heavy-duty angled wire cutters to start pulling up (unrolling) the bottom edge. This is the part that might be best explained in the video. 

As you work around the tin, it may come loose from the bottom (some do, some don't).

Unroll all the way around your tin.

If the bottom doesn't come loose on its own, simply push it out.

From there, you can cut your tin down to size. (This might be when you cut down the side of the seam if you didn't do it to start.)

Alternately, if you can't or don't want to unroll the bottom edge, you can also use either of your tin snips to snip along it. However, I've found that that method wastes some of the tin and can be a bit cumbersome. But, you decide for yourself. 

Now that your tin is cut down, you can also cut down the lid, which I share how to do in the Breaking Down a Tin video.

And, if you're wondering what you can do with the tins you've cut down, here are a few examples from my Etsy shop of how I've used tins in jewelry.

Mossy Map Earrings

Tin Cone Necklace

Textured Tin Earrings

Flower Love Necklace

I hope you have some fun treasure hunting for tins around your house or at secondhand stores. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions! And, please share what you've made with your old tins.