3 Ways to Upcycle Golden Rule Spirit’s Canned Cocktails
We were so happy to have Golden Rule Spirits partner with us to sponsor our Iron Craft event at Craftcation in April! Not only are the canned cocktails that Golden Rule makes DELICIOUS, but they come in the cutest little can I ever did see.
If you know anything about us here at Dear Handmade Life, you know that we LOVE to support small businesses! So we also love that Golden Rule Spirits was started by two cousins on a mission to create an authentic cocktail experience for wherever life might take you.
When I first saw these cans, I knew I had to keep a few and figure out cute projects to upcycle them. I came up with three ideas and I can’t wait to share them with you!
Here’s what you’ll need to create these upcycled can DIYs. First, you’ll need some EMPTY Golden Rule Spirits cans & a can opener for all three projects.
candles
- Wax Pourer (this isn’t necessary but makes it SO much easier) You can also use a hot plate and an aluminum Pouring Pot
- Wicks- I use these
- Candle Wax- I use and love this
- Fragrance Oils- I used these White Lily & Aloe and Lush Succulent
- Clothespins or Wick holders
- Wick Stickers or Hot Glue Gun
- Stir sticks or metal Skewer
- Wick Clipper or Scissors
- Optional Botanicals- This Petal Sampler is great!
All of our Candle Making supplies were generously provided by Bramble Berry, Thank you Bramble Berry!
LUMINARIE
- Power Drill with a very small drill bit- 1/16 or 5/64
- Blanket or towel to hold the can steady
- Safety Glasses/Mask/gloves- Optional, but probably safe
- Tealight Candle
SUCCULENT POT
- Potting Mix
- Small Shovel (or your hands!)
- Succulent Cutting-I used one from my backyard
upcycled candle
If you’ve never made candles before, Bramble Berry has a GREAT tutorial that walks you through the whole process, you can find that on their website HERE.
I have been making candles for years, for myself and for gifts. I don’t follow all the “rules” since they are mainly just for me to enjoy, so my process is a lot quicker. While my wax was melting in the wax pouring pot, I used a hot glue gun to secure my wick to the middle of the inside of the can, you can also use wick stickers for this.
Since these cans are so small, I only used about ½ tablespoon of fragrance oil in each, so I poured that in first. Once the wax was melted, I filled the can using the wax pourer. I use a metal skewer (so that I can just wipe it down after) to stir the wax and blend in the fragrance oil. Then I sprinkled in some of the Bramble Berry botanicals and used the clothespin to keep the wick in place while the candle cured. Once you’ve done this before and have everything ready to go, this is a pretty quick and easy process! I love giving candles as gifts and upcycling them in these adorable Golden Rule cans makes the gift that much more adorable and unique!
luminarie
Once I realized that these cans are the PERFECT size to hold a tealight candle, I knew I had to make some luminaries out of them! For this project, all you need is the empty Golden Rule can, a power drill with a very small drill bit, and something to keep your can from rolling around like a blanket or towel. I experimented with removing only the can lid for one, so you could just drop the tea light in, and then removing both the lid and the bottom of the can so that you could place the whole thing directly over the tea light, both work great!
The designs on the can are so awesome already, so I chose to drill the holes to kind of go along with that on the front. I went very slowly and carefully on this, gripping the can from the opposite end from where I was drilling. You could also wear gloves for this, I didn’t because apparently I like to live on the edge haha. On the sides and the back of the can I just drilled holes randomly, the more holes that are in the can, the more light will be given off by a lit tea light candle.
succulent pot
In the past, I have made lil’ succulent pots out of other cans so that was one of the first things that came to my mind when I saw these cute cans. This one is so quick and easy! I just filled up most of the can with potting mix, used a succulent cutting from my backyard, and then filled in the rest with more potting mix & watered it well, and that’s it! These are so fun to add a little pop of color and cuteness to any place in your house. I added mine to the window sill behind my sink with my growing collection of lil’ plants.
This would be such a fun give away for a party you host, especially if you are serving Golden Rule AT your party! This would also make such a great housewarming gift, paired with a candle too.
ABOUT NIK
Nik is a maker, day dreamer & potty mouth who loves cats, coffee and craft beer. She is a self taught hand embroiderer and will DIY pretty much anything she can get her hands on. You can see her work on Instagram @wastingthyme & @nikvphotography. She lives in Long Beach with her husband and her three awesome cats (that she can’t shut up about).
