DIY Project: Wood Veneer Coffee Can Vase

[pinit count=”horizontal” url=”https://www.addicted2decorating.com/how-to-make-a-wood-veneer-coffee-can-vase.html” image_url=”https://www.addicted2decorating.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/wood-veneer-vase.png” description=”Make a wood vase using wood veneer and a coffee can.”]

I think I’ve told you before that I have trouble throwing away containers–glass jars with lids, large cans with lids, plastic containers with lids, etc.  I just always think I’m going to need them for something, so I hang on to them.  So since I have a surplus of containers, and since I already had my wood veneer out from this cabinet makeover from last week, I decided to do a quick and easy project — a wood veneer-wrapped coffee can to create a pretty vase.

Projects really don’t get much easier than this.  🙂

I started with a can, a piece of wood veneer that I cut about four inches longer than the circumference of the can, and about two inches taller than the can.  I also made sure that the bottom edge of the veneer was a factory-cut edge so that I knew it was perfectly straight.  I used the adhesive-backed veneer for this.

I wrapped the veneer around the can, lining up the bottom edge of the veneer with the bottom edge of the can.  I overlapped the veneer about two inches.  The veneer wouldn’t stick to the can very well since it’s not a flat surface, so it’s important that the veneer overlaps so that it will hold.

Next I used my X-acto knife to trim the excess wood veneer from the top edge of the can.  Then using my framing square, I scored a straight line on the end of the veneer.  Actually, I scored it about three or four times.

That made it very easy to snap off the rough edge of the veneer, leaving a very straight cut.

After all of the veneer was cut, I handed it over to the quality control manager, who thoroughly checked my work.  😀

Then I sanded all of the rough edges.  One thing I love about wood veneer is that the edges are very easy to sand so that you can get a perfectly smooth edge.  (Below, I hadn’t yet sanded to top rim of the veneer, but I had sanded the bottom rim and the overlapped edge that I had just cut.)

Next I stained it…just like wood…’cause it is wood.

Now of course, from this point, there are about a million different ways you could decorate and embellish this little vase.  You could paint a design, use stencils, make fun labels, wrap some jute around it…so many options.  I opted for three simple little stripes…just enough to add a little color.

And when everything was dry, I finished up with a little finishing wax.

And that’s it!  A fairly quick and simple DIY vase from a coffee can.