Altoid Tin Covers

Thanks for sharing these! I just got back from my annual quilting retreat and someone had mentioned wanting to do a project next year using the tins. Being a former cross stitcher, we had made them using a stitched piece for the top. Now that we are all quilters, a quilted top is perfect!

Now, to figure out how to remember this a year from now!!!

~~~~~~~ Laurie G. in CA

They are adorable - they measure approx. 3 1/2" x 2". I got some patterns when I was down in Pennsylvania from a shop in Red Lion called Grim Hollow Stitchery. I stitched up a *Tin Topper* with a cat on it and added lots of sparkle for a friend at Christmas then I put a piece of that magnetic stuff in the bottom. It's perfect for holding your needles, needle threaders, etc.

Sharon (N.B.)

DH's grandmother had a beautiful one - although I expect hers was a Sucrets tin. She used it for keeping her double-edged razor blades in for seam ripping. Scared me to death. Polly

They are adorable - they measure approx. 3 1/2" x 2". I got some patterns when I was down in Pennsylvania from a shop in Red Lion called Grim Hollow Stitchery. I stitched up a *Tin Topper* with a cat on it and added lots of sparkle for a friend at Christmas then I put a piece of that magnetic stuff in the bottom. It's perfect for holding your needles, needle threaders, etc.

Sharon (N.B.)

I have a bunch of tins saved to use with cross stitch patterns. The colors in the pattern coordinate with the color of the tin so I have a variety of colors as well. I'll have to rethink about doing them as they make good travel projects. Thanks for sharing the site. Anyway you keep stuff out of the landfills is a good idea in my book!

Years ago I made a stencil and decorated a sucrets box...black with gold powders. I don't eat Altoids either but buy the tins and toss teh candy as they are too strong for me. They might still have their really tiny tins which are perfect for putting in a travel sewing kit. Glue in a magnet for needles and pins !!...I haven't gotten to the decorating part again... probably jsut keep them plain !

I have aboaut 6 Altoid containers. I use them all for things like pins, bobbins, travel sewing kits...I like this idea tho because it looks cooler then a label stuck to the top so I know what is inside.

If you have any fimo/sculpey clay, you can also decorate with clay which remains bright forever and is weather proof etc

Musicmaker

What a great idea! I have a bunch of that too! And the pasta machine to flatten it with that has been out of the box once! I see a great activity with a certain little guy in my future. Do you think a 3.5 year old would like to flatten fimo in a pasta machine????? (that's a rhetorical question, folks).

Do you glue the fimo to the lid before baking?

AliceW

I wish I'd thought of that. We had a 3.5 visitor recently and she would have loved it. Something else they enjoy is decorating cookies. There IS an easy way out. I found the cookies that have the hole in the center for easy holding and bought some tubes of cake decorating icing. After a while, she figured out that you can simply squirt the icing in your mouth and skip the cookie part. No matter. Big fun and edible mess. Polly

"AliceW in NJ" What a great idea! I have a bunch of that too! And the pasta machine to flatten it with that has been out of the box once! I see a great activity with a certain little guy in my future. Do you think a 3.5 year old would like to flatten fimo in a pasta machine????? (that's a rhetorical question, folks).

Do you glue the fimo to the lid before baking?

AliceW

Oh yes I can remember my Mother having the razor blades in her sewing basket too but she'd put tape on one of the edges so they were easy to handle that way. I don't ever remember her cutting herself. I think the more 'convenient' they make our tools, the more careless we seem to get. I've stabbed myself with seam rippers, sewed my finger to fabric and on and on.

Sharon (N.B.)

My understanding, and some experience, is that glue or liquid sculpey is recommended when baking clay to glass. I've decorated tins and the base layer has never needed glue. I have used liquid fimo as a glue when attaching clay to clay so that I don't have to press hard in the assembly process, which always smushes the clay piece and leaves finger prints.

Musicmaker

Alice there is a series of books by Winky Cherry, published by Palmer/Pletsch (SP??) that are for teaching kids. The first one is "My First Sewing Book" and is available as a kit too. Takes some prep time but it goes very fast once you understand what it happening with the prep. I have used this method with classes of over 30, but it is designed for individual or small groups. Wonderful and the kids love it. There is also "My First Embroidery Book", "My First Quilting (or Patchwork, can't remember) Book" "My First Machine Sewing Book" and perhaps a few more. The first book even has easy to follow directions for threading needles and tying a knot in the thread.

Pati, > That's a great idea too! I also promised him water color paints for the

So, when I bake the tin with the top covered with fimo, I don't need to glue it first? Does the baking process make it adhere to the top of the tin?

AliceW - who just found out she will have the 3.5 year old all to herself on Saturday! Yippee!

Thanks for all that great info!

AliceW