The Day Before July Fourth

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, a date when America celebrates it's independence. It's also the biggest hot dog day of the year when 155 million hot dogs will be consumed and when Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place.

So to help you get ready for the big event, today I'm going to share a quick and easy craft project with you, in case you are looking for an inexpensive way to decorate your table.

First, you'll need some empty metal cans. I saved these tomato sauce ones a while back, but you could use bean cans, dog food cans or whatever else you have on hand. You will also need some white spray paint, which you can get at your local big box store for a buck. Oh, and some newspaper or a weekly flyer for applying the spray paint.

Go ahead and spray the cans you want to use. Be sure to follow all safety precautions listed on the spray paint can (you know, use in a well-ventilated area, not, say, inside your car; use protective gear and common sense). I'm not going to get into details here about how to spray paint, but when applying, you want to use nice even strokes to get a thin layer, and be sure to let the paint dry completely between coats. I usually find that 3-4 light coats is enough to get all the nooks and crannies sufficiently painted.

Other supplies that you will need:

• 1 hot glue gun.
• 1 colored ribbon.
• Raffia.
• Flowers.

Personally, I think everyone should have a glue gun and raffia in his or her craft arsenal.

First off, cut the ribbon slightly longer than the circumference of the can. Apply a few dabs of glue to the back of the can, and press the ribbon into the glue. Be careful to not touch the glue itself; it's very hot! Trust me on this one. If you have not used a glue gun before, please read the instructions before doing so. We don't want anyone to get hurt here.

If you get some wayward strands of glue, don't despair. You'll be able to wipe them off once the glue is dry.

Wrap the ribbon around the can, and then apply a few more dabs to tack the end of the ribbon at the starting point. Use the same method with the raffia. Clean up any wayward strands by just running your hand over the dried glue. You can also peel it off if need be.

Put your flowers in, and you're done! Oh yeah, don't forget to add water.

All told, I didn't spend any money on this project because I had all the supplies already, but if you had to go out and buy all of this, here's an approximate cost breakdown:

• Cans: $1/each. This cost is offset by the fact that you can eat the contents.


• White spray paint: $1/each. You won't need a whole can for the project, so you can save the rest for future projects.


• Ribbon: $1/roll. You will probably end up using less than a foot, so if you have any scraps from other holidays (Valentine's Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays), you can use those. But if you buy a new roll you will be able to use it in the future for other crafts or wrapping presents.


• Raffia: $3/bag. Again, you will find that this stuff comes in handy for present-wrapping or even flower arranging (see how I used it in a previous post here).


• Flowers: $3/bouquet. If you don't have any flowers in your yard that you can use like I did, you can buy a cheap bouquet from your local Farmers' Market or grocery store. Red or white carnations are inexpensive and readily available in my neck of the woods, and they certainly fit the color scheme here.


• Total: $10/2 cans.

I'm going to give one of these to my neighbors, in the zeitgeist of today's events. If you are having guests over, you could also use these as party favors. What do you think? Do you like them?