'Jute' said it would work!

So I have seen so many tutorials of wrapping any and all kinds of containers with Jute twine to make some really beautiful & rustic storage containers. Well certainly I have to have some and if I can make it instead of buy it then all the more so!  So in my endeavor to do my part, I have been saving ALL my tin cans from veggies & sauces and purchased a decent size roll of jute twine.  Now, there are lots of places out there to find the stuff, craft stores, hardware / gardening stores, you can even find people selling it online per yard (but honestly that is WAY more expensive than it should be) but IF you can not find it locally then get some online but you will want to have at least 3-5 yards for a small project like the one I did here.  So this if my first try and here is what I found:

I started w/ a smaller tin, this was one of the small tomato sauce cans (you know the ones that are about .30-.50 each. Just in case it was tricky I didn't want to waste too much of my twine. (don't worry, you are going to love doing this)

Make sure you start with a clean tin (obviously but must be said....)

Remove all the outer labels and I run mine through the dishwasher and dry really well.

All you need for this project is:

1. Any size tin can
2. Jute twine 
3. Hot glue (or fast drying glue)
4. Embellishments  like ribbon, lace or buttons(optional)
5. Felt (optional)

Most tin cans have a ridged pattern which makes starting the twin and wrapping even easier. If you are just not confident in yourself, make sure you start with one like this to help guide you but you will be a pro in no time!  I suggest gluing the first 3-4 rows completely for security and to give you good tension for the rest of the can.

(Fig. 1) After the first few rows just pull and wrap, keeping tension on the twine.  It's not necessary to wrap closely, just keep the tension (fig. 2), just wrap several rows tightly and then push them down as shows (fig. 3)  I realized this technique half way through, it makes the project go much more quickly!

The wrapping process is not difficult, just practice and you will find your grove. I did however put a tack or two or glue ever 5-6 rows so I knew it would not move for sure. 

Continue this until you get to the top of the can. You will notice the top has a lip which sticks out slightly  that is perfect, (Fig. 1) just slowly wrap & glue your final 2-3 rows like you did at the bottom of the can in the beginning. When all done just trim off twine (Fig.2) and finish neatly. If you are careful you can do this with the hot glue OR a fast drying clear glue would work great if you have a heavy trigger finger on the glue  gun.  When all done your wrapped tin will look a little 'messy' (Fig. 3) because well, this is a natural fiber but that's on, just get out your scissors and trim off all those stray fibers.  IF you plan to put this on a delicate surface you can measure and cover the bottom (Fig. 4) with felt but I saw no reason for this in my case, but it would give a nice finish if you are gift giving. The final look (Fig. 5) a beautiful natural jute twine covered tin to hold whatever your heart desires!

Spend your most time stating & ending your twine to give is a nice finished look. If you just can't get a smooth finish, then cover the rims with ribbon, lace or embellishments. Make it work, honestly w/ the natural fibers you will probably be the only person who notices anyway.

Now, those of you who know me know that I can't leave it just  like this, NO WAY!  And if you don't know me personally you will get to as we move on.  I wanted to give this as a little thank you gift so I wanted to put a little extra touch to it, so I went to my ribbon collection then found some various buttons, played with it for a little bit and VOILA! an adorable rustic accessory perfect for holding..............whatever the receiver wants, but this was plenty big for my pens in my studio!  

I simply love this!  I am going to try to get out of my head on the next few and not be so symmetrical with my finishing touches, I think it would give a whimsy look for sure!

Well now I'm really hooked! I knew I liked this project when I saw it but now I can't wait to make more of these for all over the house AND I will add my personal touch to make them coordinate with the different areas of the house!  I think I will experiment with different twine colors and other techniques.  As I do I will update you with more end pictures. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed making this. Total time was maybe 30 min. So a quick little fun task for this size.

Please share if you like, I don't mind & I hope my instructions were easy to follow. 

Comments or suggestions, bring 'em on!  Have a great day and don't forget to put your twist on it!