Here's a tip that I submitted to a magazine for inclusion in the readers' tips:

When I'm done with a project, much of my left-over small pieces of fabric will be cut into either 2", 2.5", or 3" squares.
Since I drink General Food International coffees, it dawned on me to reuse the boxy tin containers for my 2" squares.

When finished with the coffee, I vacuumed the last few grains out of the can and wiped out with a dry cloth (Washing the can will cause it to rust!)

For a different look, I've covered two cans with wrapping paper, and they are great to store my 2" squares of scraps.

When 2 cans are full, that is when I make a small table topper or donate squares.

Neat minis!

Cute idea! Thanks for sharing. I don't drink coffee so I'll have to find someone who does.

Great use of cans!! very nice idea

hey girl, thanks for this idea - I have been storing stuff in those cans for years. My mother-in-law gave me my first can and I still have it - I use them to store all kinds of things in. I love the dec' ing them idea- have never thought of that.

What a great idea! I don't happen to drink that kind of coffee, but your tip has inspired me to look around the house and see how I can repurpose stuff.

I store mine in the clear plastic lunchmeat containers sold in supermarkets (sliced ham, turkey etc)
I've been doing it for years so now have 2 1/2" in separate ones - light, medium and dark.
My 1 1/2" are dumped into a huge popcorn tin.

WOW I love all the clever tips you can get from here :lol:

This is a great idea. I like how they fit in the coffee can. If I can't see it then I don't have it so the clear plastic storage containers will work better for me. Thank you./Regards, Dorothy

How cute! Love your idea, thanks for sharing.

Dorothy, I am like that. I moved some stuff around and found washed and pressed yardage that I bought at a yard sale years ago, enough for at least 3 backs!

That is a great idea.

My DS drinks this & I'll have to ask her to save her tins for me! Thanks for the great tip!!!

OH, how cleaver! Not being able to see inside is not problem. Cover each tin with a different color paper. Red for red squares, blue, green, etc.

I do this too, but use the powdered chocolate milk mix (yellow or brown depending on the brand) instead--they are a bigger and fit like books on a bookshelf. I put sticky label on narrow end the size. Not only do I use these for squares, but for narrow strips (3/4" to 1 1/2) and triangles and HST's. First place I go to when making a small quilt. ;-)

Great idea!

Thank you for sharing this great idea :D:D:D

You rock, Jennie! How's that challenging card-trick quilt coming along that you did for the tutorial? I've seen one like that but it is a 6 or 8 pointed star type pattern!

great idea thnks for sharing

Your are very clever! that is so cute and a great idea!

Love those mini quilts. I usually keep my small pieces of fabric in empty ice cream containers, and because they are transparent I can easily see what is in them.

Great tips you guys! I used to love the International coffee mocha, havent bought any in a while, but it is so good!

Another idea of reusing an item to store is baby food containers. My daughters have been saving the little plastice square clear ones for me.

An excellent idea and I hope the magazine prints your tip.

That is an awesome idea, you could also use those clear plastic containers from lunch meat (Glad-Hillshire Farms) if you wanted, then they would be see through and you could easily find what you wanted!

I never thought about cutting my scraps into 2" squares, I have lots of projects that I have scraps just thrown into a bin, that is a great idea and then could easily be made into a scrappy quilt when you have enough scraps!

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

GREAT idea!!! You've just solved a problem for me!

Thought of that too but yours are in prettier tin containers and i liked the fact that your stood up and not laying down like mine. Have brought the Sterlite see thru container for the 2 1/2" and 4 1/2". Thanks your neat ideas

Thanks for sharing :P

I use a lot of repurposed containers like that. A current favorite hold all my tool too and from classes too so they don't get lost (Nestles Quick, the yellow boxes). I covered one to take out in public, the rest are sorted on shelves holding a vast array of things. I just started thinking that I needed to put light colored scraps together...then dark... it kind of grew from there. These are great. They sit neatly on the shelf, hold a lot, are sturdy and FREE. What a deal. I guess I could dress them up with the color family of scaps they hold etc. when I start getting enough scraps to actually call them families.

You're going green. YAY!!!

I recycle cans and jars for storage, too. I cover my cans with fabric scraps dipped in watered down glue and spray the finished can with clear varnish.

I have been saving those plastic containers that some salad greens come in. The lids snap into place, they are transparent, and the are a good size for all sorts of things. I put scraps of fusible webbing in one of mine, safety pins in another, etc. I just hate that I'm not able to recycle those in my area, so I try not to buy them. But if I do, they make good containers. Also, they nest together well and don't take up much room.

It is saving the green that motivates me. 8-)

Very nice idea!! Thanks for taking the time to post the great pics of the cans and of the precious mini quilts!

Connie

A couple of things I've reused are:

1. Crystal Light plastic can-I covered w/scrapbook paper and put all my crochet hooks in it.

2. Powdered baby formula can-I covered w/scrapbook paper and put my pens in 1 and my chopstick, sewing gauge, marking pens int he other.

3. Small but sturdy boxes-We buy the Fiber 1 bars at Costco and the boxes are long and narrow and very sturdy. I have big drawers to hold my FQ's and wanted something to sort them by color. These boxes are working perfectly! I just cut the tops off and in the drawers they go! Now when I want to pull a certain color for a better look I have them all together and can pull them out and put them back easier...

4. Easter Baskets-I went to Walmart after Easter this year and they had square baskets w/handles that fold down for $4.00. Perfect for holding bigger projects on a shelf...1 basket per project!

5. Plastic zipper bags that bedding comes in-I think a lot of us probably reuse these! I have started a Prayers and Squares ministry at my church. These bags are perfect to put a kit in along w/the directions. Send the quilters out the door w/a kit and back comes a completed top!

6. Plastic baby food containers-great for pins, bobbins, etc.

That's about all I can think of that I reuse but I'm going to bookmark this topic so I can check back often for new ideas!

Cooooooolllllllll!

Neat idea.

Great Idea

I just tell people I mindfully repurposed them. I'm not a recycling nut or necessarily "green" because I don't compost in my backyard anymore (I tried once or twice, just never got it going well).

I've wondered what to do with my little coffee cans - now I know. Thanks for the idea.