Tin Boxes

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle Altoid®, International Coffee®, Bandages, etc.


Bible-Minis

Decorate the front & back of an Altoids' tin like a Bible (felt or construction paper). Place a short Bible verse on the inside. Mark on the can itself or onto construction paper glued to it.


Bible Verse Holder

You could paint or cover the tin with contact paper. You could write, copy, etc. Bible verses and use the tin as a holder. This might also be a nice gift. ~ Cassandra


Father's Day "Nuts & Screws"

You will need an empty tin (such as an Altoid® container), photocopy of nuts and screws (find on internet images), scissors, glue, permanent marker, actual nuts and screws equal to the number of people in your family, and the gift to be included such as a gift card to dad's favorite store, or a "coupon" that can redeemed for a car wash, yard raked, weeds pulled, etc. by the child.

Include a note that says, "Dad you are the BEST! You're the one who holds the nuts and lose screws together in our family! I love you, (signed by child). 

Cut out the picture of nuts and screws to fit the top of the container, then glue it to the top. Place the nuts and screws, the gift card or coupon, and the note inside the tin. On the bottom of the box write the date and "to and from."


Good Samaritan Story

The tins work great for the Good Samaritan story. We placed these items inside the tin: 2 pennies for each child for the money he paid the motel owner, a band-aid for his wounds that were cleaned, they still sell those little wax Kool-aid bottles and we use it to represent the oil to clean the wounds, and a cotton ball for cleaning the wounds. You could add a short version of the story, and or you can add a few verses to the box. It can be decorated like a first aid kit, paint it white with a red cross, or you could use Good Samaritan stickers for the outside.

Mother's / Father's Day

The week before I had the children give me different words they would use to describe their mom / dad. I made a list, then I went to a thesaurus and put in several of the words, this eventually gave me over 75 words.

I cut and pasted several from the online thesaurus, and then ran an overhead copy of it. On Mother's / Father's Day I projected the words on the wall and allowed the children to search the words to find the perfect ones that described their mom / dad. Each word was written on a 1"x 2" piece of paper in the child's handwriting. Each child got up to 15 pieces of paper to write on.

Decorate the tops of the boxes with photos of the child or stickers. Write "to and from" on the bottom of the tin with a permanent marker and the year, then tie a nice ribbon around it and finish off with a bow.


Survival Kits

Years ago while I was in girl scouts we made survival kits out of a bandage can. The cans are hard to find now; most coming in boxes. The Altoid cans may work. You could come up with a Biblical concept for each thing you place in the can. We placed several bandages, several feet of twine, a few pieces of hard candy, a fishing hook, some waterproofed matches, a stub of a pencil and some paper, a large thin sheet of plastic (shelter), some bouillon cubes, a thin square of cotton cloth for use as a sling or bandage, and a large square of tin foil (to use to catch water and or to cook on) We wrapped the can in fishing line from top to bottom and taped the whole thing in waterproof tape. Honestly, all these things fit in the can.


Sunday School Teachers' Survival Kit 

This idea works great with Altoids or similar containers, and is a really good "keep up the great work" gift to give to teachers, parent volunteers, children's pastors, and anyone else who is working hard in your Sunday School ministry. You can cover the tin in construction paper, or paint it using acrylic paints. On the inside put: a Starburst candy; a Hugs candy; a band-aid; a mini eraser; a puzzle piece; and a shiny penny. Attach a note that says: Sunday School Teachers Survival Kit - included in this box are items that will give you a little boost when you need it the most. A Starburst candy to give you a burst of energy when you are running on empty. A Hugs candy to let you know that a hug really can make a world a whole lot brighter. A band-aid for when the going gets rough. An eraser to remind you that Jesus has already erased even our largest mistakes. A puzzle piece to remind you that life as well as learning is a puzzle that should be handled with care. A shiny penny to remind you that each of your students will shine in their own special way. 

Here's a more generic one that can be used with volunteers and other non-teachers: You can decorate the tin the same way you did before, but change the contents to include: a mini eraser, a magnet, a marble, a penny, a rubber band, a piece of string, a Hugs candy, and a Kiss candy.

Attach a little note that says Make Today Your Day Kit - included in this box are items that will help you live today and every day to it's fullest extent, as we were meant to live it. 

An eraser to remind you that Jesus has already wiped all your mistakes away. A magnet to help you pull love your way. A marble so that no one can ever say that you've lost your marbles. A penny so that you will never be broke. A rubber band to remind you that with Jesus you can stretch beyond your expectations. A piece of string to tie you and Jesus together in all parts of your life. A hug and a kiss to make your day as good as new, and to remind you that love makes the world go round. 

Hope this helps someone out there!
Love in Christ,
Sarah (in California)


Tic-Tac-Toe

We recently made a tic-tac-toe game with Altoid tins. We covered the top of the can with a metallic, sparkly fun flat sticker - the size of the lid. (You can buy sheets of such adhesive type "stuff" and cut it to size.) Then we used line stickers to make the grid on top of that. We decorated the sides of the can with other small stickers. And then we used star magnets and pompons with magnets as the two types of game pieces. (We were studying creation and this was for our day when the stars were created)

The kids store the game pieces in the tin and can carry it with them anywhere. They loved doing it.

Barbara
Naperville, IL

Treasure Boxes

We used them for Lava Lava Island VBS, we sprayed them gold and used them as treasure boxes. The kids put shells and hearts on them and learned about Gods word being a treasure that they hide in their hearts. You will find lots to uses for them, such as a collection of Bible promises to fill the little box.
Patti Howerton
Milton Freewater, Or

More Treasure Box ideas:
Inside the box you could place items that represent God's love, grace, etc. 

You could personalize your plans with a particular verse or poem. 
1. Lightly sand the printed sides, and spray paint (so the glue or paint has something to "grab")
2. Glue shells or beads around the top of the lid's edge.
3. Fill the center of the top with craft glue, and sprinkle with sand or glitter.

Optional: 
* decorate the top with sticky craft foam or felt.
* use double sided tape to cover the sides with ribbon.
* add something printed on paper to the center of the lid.
* older kids may want to line the inside with felt to protect jewelry.

Vicki from Reynolds, IN

Return to Bible Crafts page or the Creative Challenge page.

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