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Easy Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins

Vintage spice tins aren’t just for basic kitchen decor, they make super cute Christmas decor, too. Lately I have been putting my scrap stash to use (ya know, all those cute bits and pieces you can’t stand to throw away) in a creative way.

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examples of upcycled Christmas spice tins with Christmas trees and decor

Easy Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins

You can’t have a blog called Tiny Vintage Kitchen and not have a spice tin obsession! Spice tins are on the “things they just don’t make em’ like they use to anymore” list, so I am always on the hunt for the vintage beauties.

These upcycled Christmas spice tins were the end result, and I have to say I am thrilled with how they turned out.

mini Christmas tree in Kroger celery seed spice tin

These upcycled Christmas spice tins are easy to make (or trust me, I would not have bothered) and can be created for just a few bucks each.

If you love upcycled crafts, or just vintage Christmas decor, this is the perfect project for you. Here is how to get started.

supplies needed for upcycled Christmas spice tins

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Supplies Needed for Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins

A note about supplies: You can find old tins at most thrift or antique stores for less than a few bucks each. I tend to buy them at garage sales during the summer months, but I can easily find them at antique shops for anywhere from $1-$3 each.

bowl of Christmas craft supplies

As you can see, I have a whole lotta crafting scraps. These little odds and ends are just what you need for these upcycled Christmas spice tins. I find these scraps at a variety of places: garage sales, thrift stores, eBay, and even in your own Christmas decor are great places to look.

As far as the bottle brush trees, those are vintage inspired, but new. You can find these at most craft stores in a variety of colors and sizes. I grab these whenever I find them on sale because they can be used in so many ways.

piece of florist foam

As you can see, I have a whole lotta crafting scraps. These little odds and ends are just what you need.
As a filler, I use florist foam. I found a large brick of it at my local dollar store. This soft foam is perfect for filling the inside of each tin. It also holds any vintage findings such as floral picks in place.

close up view of Christmas spice tin with pinecones

How to Make Easy Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins

1. Start by cutting the florist foam to fit the inside of your container. It doesn’t have to fit perfectly, just so it fills a majority of the container.

2. Start gluing larger craft scraps to the back of the container. I like to add my bottle brush trees, figurines, and candy canes towards the back since they offer height. Just add a generous amount of glue under the item, and press into place.

3. Add some front fillers. This can include greenery, small ornaments, pine cones, and small figurines.

4. Now add the fluff. This means filling in the small, bare spaces around the large items. For this I use small tufts of tinsel and holly leaves. Just glue into place.

5. Finish off the arrangement with a mist of spray adhesive. I found a small bottle of it at my local dollar store. Just hold 12 inches away and mist lightly. Sprinkle some fine crafting glitter while still damp.

Christmas spice tins supplies, up close view of multipurpose adhesive spray

Ahhh it looks so sugary and gorgeous! I just love it. Allow the glue and glitter to dry well before touching or displaying. Once everything is dry in place, you can display your collection of Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins.

Here are a few examples of the ones I have made.

examples of complete upcycled Christmas spice bins with Christmas trees and tinsel

But wouldn’t ya know, I couldn’t stop with just tins. I picked up some vintage Christmas mugs too to see how they would look using this same method.

up close view of coffee mug Christmas decor

Mugs such as these can be found at most thrift and second hand stores as well. I found these mugs for just a quarter each! Eek!

Remind yourself that there are no rules when it comes to crafting these assemblage pieces. Use what you like arrange it how you want, then glitter it well!

mini Christmas trees in Christmas tree coffee cup

These look so cute when arranged together on a shelf or you can even add some ribbon for hanging. They would make some cute ornaments! Tie them on to gifts as gift tags, or give them as gifts yourself.

Give these a try, won’t you? They are a cute way to get into the Christmas spirit while giving some sweet little items a second life!

santa and candy canes in coffee cup

Before you go, be sure to check out some of the other holiday crafts we have been working on!

Vintage Wood Slice Christmas Ornament

overhead view of vintage wood slice Christmas ornaments

Easy Upcycled Christmas Ornament Display

pink vintage Christmas ornaments
Crafting with Old Spice Tins

Easy Upcycled Christmas Spice Tins

Vintage spice tins aren't just for basic kitchen decor, they make super cute Christmas decor, too. Lately I have been putting my scrap stash to use (ya know, all those cute bits and pieces you can't stand to throw away) in a creative way.

Materials

  • metal spice tins

  • crafting florist foam

  • fine crafting glitter

  • crafting scraps - such as small ornaments, bells, greenery, tinsel, candy canes
  • bottle brush trees

Tools

  • hot glue
  • glue gun

  • spray adhesive


Instructions

    Start by cutting the florist foam to fit the inside of your container. It doesn't have to fit perfectly, just so it fills a majority of the container.

    Then, start gluing larger craft scraps to the back of the container. I like to add my bottle brush trees, figurines, and candy canes towards the back since they offer height. Just add a generous amount of glue under the item, and press into place.

    Add some front fillers. This can include greenery, small ornaments, pine cones, and small figurines.

    Now add the fluff. This means filling in the small, bare spaces around the large items. For this I use small tufts of tinsel and holly leaves. Just glue into place.

    Finish off the arrangement with a mist of spray adhesive. I found a small bottle of it at my local dollar store. Just hold 12 inches away and mist lightly. Sprinkle some fine crafting glitter while still damp.

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