Easy Repurpose Ideas - Empty Coffee Canisters

by Texas Homesteader ~

Empty coffee cans have so many handy uses. Come see different ways I’ve been able to repurpose them when they’re empty.

RancherMan & I love our coffee. We enjoy that hot cup-o-joe each morning.

Although I hate plastic, our favorite coffee comes in a plastic canister. Of course when they’re empty I offer those handy containers to others around me who I feel could use them.

But when I could no longer give them away I started looking for various ways to repurpose them myself.

If you’re looking for inspiration too, come see what I’ve been able to make with them. Links to details are in the titles.

Removing The Print From A Plastic Coffee Can

I wanted to make some of my canisters into decorative food containers. So I didn’t want to paint the outside for fear paint might chip off over time into our food. But I found that removing the print could be a challenge. I also found there’s a trick to it. So if you’re going to be storing food in your canister and don’t want to paint it, be sure to check this out.

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Repurposed Coffee Can Into Cute Bread Box

After I got that print removed from the surface I made an empty coffee canister into a cute bread box. I use it to hold the Homemade Bread I make for RancherMan. This bread box looks great in our kitchen and keeps our bread fresh too.

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Flour Canister From Empty Coffee Can

After I made my bread box, I removed the print from a larger canister and made it into a matching flour canister. I typically buy a 25-lb bag of flour at a time and store it in my freezer to keep it fresh. Then I refill this cute canister to keep a handy supply in my kitchen.

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Container for Covered Dish Affair Using Coffee Can

We were invited to our daughter’s home for supper as part of our Push To Spend More Time With Family. When I asked what I could bring to contribute to the meal, she requested that I bring Cake Mix Cookies. Easy enough! I transported those freshly-baked cookies in an empty coffee canister. It’s made of food-safe plastic and I’m not concerned about whether or not my container comes home with me like I would my Tupperware. And again, I have a near endless supply.

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Repurposing Coffee Can For Storing Dried Herbs

I had to harvest copious amounts of rosemary to make room when we had our Porch Addition built. I use rosemary in so many things – my Homemade Hairspray, our homemade Lavender/Rosemary Soap and of course in cooking too. So I dried it and stored it in my pantry… in this empty food-safe coffee canister.

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Low-Waste Chicken Feeder From Empty Coffee Can

We fashioned this chicken feeder with an empty coffee canister. I love that it has built-in handle to make carrying it easier. And c’mon, we pretty much have a never-ending supply of these coffee canisters. If for some reason we need to rework it, we should have no problem obtaining a new coffee canister to refresh it

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Paint A Coffee Can To Make A Planter For Sharing

I often dig up and share various plants with my friends & family. To transport them, it’s these handy coffee canisters to the rescue! And I even painted a few of them and use them for potted plants on our back porch. Why not, they look great and I can make as many as I want.

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Repurposing A Coffee Can In The Garden

These coffee canisters have a handy purpose in my garden too. I have a lidded container stashed out in my veggie garden. When I’m weeding, I toss those weeds into my container and pop the top back on. When it’s full I dump the contents into my *Tumbling Composter to help make that Black-Gold Compost that my garden loves!

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Deep-Soak Watering Plants Using Coffee Cans

During those hot, dry Texas summer months we can go weeks without rain. Although I insist upon nothing but rainwater to water outside plants. So I put garden watering in water-conservation mode using these handy repurposed coffee canisters.

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Empty Coffee Cans To Hold Garden Harvest

I used to wait until almost all the grapes in the cluster were ripe before harvesting them. But that wasn’t the best idea since by then the raccoons often beat me to them. So I began harvesting as soon as *most* of the grapes in the cluster were ripe. But that wasn’t preferable either – since grapes don’t ripen after they’re harvested, I’d have to throw away too many grapes. THEN I decided I’d harvest my grapes the same way I harvest blueberries – one at a time. The handy coffee canisters help me gather and carry the harvested grapes inside. I’ll wash and air dry them, then freeze them to process into grape juice or grape jam in the cooler months.

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EcoBricks In The Garden Using Empty Plastic Bottles & Cofeee Cans

Planting a galvanized water trough is all the rage now. I’ve planted several myself! But just like you need to put small stones in a regular planting pot to aid with drainage, you need something in the bottom of the trough too. But it obviously needs to be bigger & chunkier than stones. I use EcoBricks. We didn’t have enough juice bottle EcoBricks, so we used some of our extra coffee canisters filled with used hay wrap. It worked great!

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Storm Shelter Supplies Sealed In A Coffee Can

I have a few supplies in our storm shelter in the event we must run to shelter in the middle of the night during a storm. One thing that was recommended by one of our smart Facebook followers was a lidded coffee can and toilet paper. That way if any children that may be present get a nervous bladder we can accommodate them.

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Coffee Cans Hold Homemade Bulk Laundry Soap

I make Homemade Laundry Soap often. It’s all I’ve used for over 10 years now. I can’t imagine the money I’ve saved. And it works great for cleaning our clothes too.

So when I whip up a batch of laundry soap, I mix up a lot! Then I store it all in a repurposed coffee can that’s been properly labeled.

It’s another way I’m able to repurpose those handy coffee cans. And the footprint of those cans is small, and it has a built-in handle for easy access. What’s not to love?

So there are a few ways we’ve been able to repurpose these handy containers on our Homestead.

What are some of your favorite ways to put these handy containers to good use?

~TxH~

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16 thoughts on “12 Easy Ways To Repurpose Empty Coffee Canisters”

Rhonda at

How do you get rid of the smell of coffee? I don’t drink coffee, but have a brother-in-law that drinks about 2 pots of coffee a day. We do re-use for other things, but I can’t get rid of the smell to use them for other food storage.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I first wash the coffee cans with soap and water, then set them in full sunshine for a few days. (sunshine is a great deodorizer) Then I wash the coffee cans with soap & water again or in the dishwasher for a little more oomph. If after those steps I need to repeat I will, but usually any tiny amount of coffee aroma that remains is not enough to ‘flavor’ whatever I’m storing in the coffee can and the aroma dissipates completely over time. ~TxH~
  
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Patti Goertz at

I just started composting and needed a container in the kitchen to put the scraps in. Ah HA! Repurposed coffee can ideas started me thinking. It works so well! When the can gets full, it’s then time to take it outside to the compost bin. Looks nice either beside the sink or under the kitchen sink in a cabinet. Thanks for the good ideas!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Love it Patti. #UseWhatchaGot! ~TxH~
  
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Pam at

Cut a hole in top and bottom. Slice a rectangular hole down the side. Put your toilet paper hanger inside with the toilet paper end coming out the rectangular slot. This will prevent pets from slashing the paper and making a mess.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Another great repurpose idea Pam – thanks for sharing! ~TxH~
  
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Cindy at

Where do you buy the bigger canisters of Folgers coffee? Thanks, cindy

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  We’ve gotten them in the larger restaurant-supply section of Wal-Mart and also at Sam’s when we’ve had occasion to shop there. ~TxH~
  
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ColleenB.~Tx. at

Many wonderful uses Tammy.
Use empty coffee cans to store your premeasured coffee filters in. When it comes time to make coffee; pop off the lid and your filter is already good to go with the coffee already measured.

I don’t knit or crochet but would be a great container to hold yarn in; cutting a hole in the the lid, run your yard up through and knit or crochet away.

When I find cheap, old cabinet / dresser drawer pulls or knobs for me to use on other projects, I store them in coffee cans. I label the containers so I know exactly what I am looking for when the time comes.
Even tho I like using glass jars for storing buttons, I do have some stored in coffee cans as well.

Can even make birdhouses out them extra coffee cans you have laying around.

The metal cans work best for this by painting the can and making into a snowman hat for the holidays.
Decorate the containers and make into pretty flower vases.
If you have so many containers that you don’t know what to do with them all; donate them to an organization or Girl Scout club, to Daycare center for them to store things in like little kids toys; legos, crayons, chalk, etc

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  That’s a lot of good info Colleen. Thanks! ~TxH~
  
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Ken at

I am going to start making “Ecobricks” I so love the idea of using empty coffee containers filled with haywrap. Lord knows I have enough of that stuff! Thanks for the idea Tammy.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Now let me tell ya Ken, depending on what size can you have and how heavily your hay was wrapped, it’s certainly a practice in tight packing! But I was finally able to get that net wrap tightly packed inside those coffee cans and the lids placed on. I put them lid-side-down so the soil would keep them pressed. LOL ~TxH~
  
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Pamela Gervais at

My husband has a big work garage/shed with lots and tools and supplies. He uses these canisters for all sorts of things but one of the ways he uses them most is to hold things like screws, nuts, nails, etc. He marks on them the size and then puts that size screw in that canister. He garage is very organized this way.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Clever way to organize Pamela. And all those canisters stack on each other so it’s all tidy. ~TxH~
  
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Ken at

Bacon grease.

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Um, love my bacon grease too Ken. We don’t buy lots of bacon (we love it, but it’s typically out of our food budget) But I loan my parents a canning jar and they save all theirs for us. When they bring it to us full we just swap it out for a clean, empty one each time. I use bacon grease in many dishes so I appreciate them saving it for me instead of just throwing it away. ~TxH~
  
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