How to paint and decorate tins:
What you will need: plain tins, acrylic paint, paint brushes, paint sponges, acrylic sealer (optional)
When I decided to make toffee for friends and family last Christmas, I couldn’t find any Christmas tins that I liked, so I decided to paint my own! The woman helping me at the Container Store gave me a sideways glance as I passed up the entire wall of Christmas tins for plain ones, but I was already on a mission. Tins can be re-used for so many things, so why not add a personal touch? Before I started, I washed all of the tins with soap and water to remove any dust and to allow the paint to adhere better to the metal.
Once the tins were dry, I got to work! I painted only the top of the tins so that the paint was not close to the toffee and so that it wouldn’t chip when the lid was taken on and off. To start, I painted a thick layer of red paint with a paint brush. After letting the paint dry, I painted another layer for a more opaque finish, and then I used a craft sponge across the fresh layer of paint to give it texture.
Before adding the design, I let the paint set for a couple of hours (overnight works too!) so that the red paint did not blend with the white snowflake. I used two coats of white paint to make the snowflake pop, and left the tins to dry for a couple of days before using them.
You can also spray an acrylic sealer to help set the paint and avoid scratches in the paint. Line your tins with parchment paper, add your favorite Christmas cookies (or salted almond toffee!), and get ready to spread Christmas cheer!
