DIY: Pet Food Storage Containers

Do you have pets? I have a dog and two cats. I like to keep their stuff organized as much as I do my own and am always drawn to the pet food storage containers that they sell in the Ballard Designs catalog, but don’t like the price tag.  With some thought, I figured out a way to make my own version using popcorn tins that you can buy at Costco or at yard sales.

If you have Silhouette vinyl cutting machine then you can make vinyl cutouts to look exactly like the Ballard Designs cans. I made my labels on my computer.

Here are how my tins looked before:

I could have painted them, but they had a few dents, so I decided to cover them with paper.

supplies needed:

• Large tin can
• Decorative Paper – kraft paper, gift wrap or wallpaper – I found my gift wrap at Walmart
• Spray Adhesive
• Straight edge
• Kraft knife or scissors
• Black spray paint
• Clear contact paper
• Free printable cat and dog labels – download below
• 2 brass fasteners
• Optional: Self laminating sheets

Click here: Download free printable DOG and CAT food labels

How to Make Stylish Pet Food Containers

1. Spray paint the lid using gloss black. Set aside.

2.  Print out Dog/Cat labels above.

3. Trim around design as shown above. Center the label on a piece of giftwrap and cut giftwrap about a 1/2-inch larger all around than your cut-out label.  Laminate your label by using laminating sheets that you can buy at Walmart or sandwich the label between a front and back piece of contact paper. Leave about 1/4- inch of contact paper all around the label. The two dots on the design are where the brass fasteners will go.  Set aside.

4.  Measure your can height and circumfrence and cut your paper slighty larger than those measurements. You can cut away the excess later.  I used a straight edge to make sure my cuts where straight.

5. Don’t cover the top section of the can where the lid will cover it. Apply spray adhesive to the can, let it get tacky and cover the can. Smooth paper with your hands as you cover the can.

6. I wanted an easy way to keep the cans clean, so I covered the paper with clear contact paper. If you have excess paper around the bottom of the can once it is covered -use a kraft knife to remove it by cutting around the bottom rim.  This will give you the perfect straight line along the bottom.

7.  The lid will go on easily.

8. Use an awl to make a hole where you want to place the label. Repeat on the other side of the label. TIP:  So you don’t bend the can, hold one hand inside the can to push against your other hand that is making the hole on the outside.  If you do it this way – you provide some resistance and the can won’t bend.

9. Place the label on can and then attach by pushing a brass fastener through each hole.

10.  Push the brass fastener all the way in.

11. Spread the ends of the brass fastener to secure.

DIY Pet Food Storage Containers After:

Now the beat up cans are just as styling as the ones in the Ballard Designs catalog, plus they can be wiped clean since I covered them with clear contact paper. I found the big white scoop at Walmart.

For more free printables from my blog click here to my Printable Gallery.