For this project, you’ll turn five juice cans and an empty fabric bolt into a beautiful and functional desk organizer.
To make your decorative desk organizer, start with five of the large metal juice cans. Take the top completely off, peel off any paper label, and wash and dry them thoroughly. Make sure you get all the sticky juice out so that they don’t attract critters later on.
Using strips of Contact Paper cover each of your juice cans with a pattern of your choice. I like to make all five of mine match, but depending on the décor of the room you may be able to alternate colors or even make each of the five a different color or pattern and still look tasteful.
To wrap each can, use a strip of Contact Paper long enough to wrap around the can and overlap by about an inch and wide enough to cover the can from top to bottom with about an inch left over. Peel away the release backing from the Contact Paper and lay it sticky side up on your work surface.
Line up your juice can so that the bottom of the juice can is along the longer edge of your rectangle. Then roll your juice can until the paper goes all the way around the can and that extra inch overlaps on itself, sealing the cylinder shut.
Next, then place your can right side up and you’ll find that extra inch of contact paper is sticking up beyond the top of the can. Lean it inward, and press it down so that the adhesive sticks to the inside of the can. This will cover up the edge of the can giving it a cleaner look and also cover up any sharp points left from when you took the lid of the can off.
Follow that same procedure for all five of your juice cans.
Next you’ll wrap your empty fabric bolt in the same pattern of Contact Paper or in a contrasting color or pattern. You can get an empty fabric bolt from your local discount or fabric store, usually for free just by asking. The bolts come in several different lengths. The one you want will lay across all five of your cans with only an inch or so excess on either edge.
Using a large square of Contact Paper with the release paper removed, wrap your fabric bolt sticky side of the Contact Paper in the same way you might wrap a birthday present. Fold in all the ends neatly, so tat they stick down.
Using a hot glue gun, attach all five of your juice cans so that they line up in a row with the open ends all facing in the same direction. Then with a bit more hot glue attach your covered fabric bolt to the top of the cans, making sure that the cans are centered underneath it.
Once your hot glue has hardened in place your cans and bolt will stay together and move as one unit. They are the perfect size to slide small, often used items such as staplers and calculators into on your desk.
Contact Paper is available in many different colors and patterns, some of which are seasonal. If your family drinks enough juice to collect empty juice cans, this is a great project to use up those cans and have a nice desk organizer decorated for each new season.
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