« vjfs,> : ^ '^' «g^ IgQI iH' .'St- : : J: life IIP? -^iM^#!m.Mfe5^^^*/^^» Digitized bythe Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/tincantoyshowtomOOwill Expensive materials are not necessary. TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM BY CARRIE WILLIAMS ST. LOUIS, MO. 1916 ^ Copyright 1916, by Carrie Williams / AY 22 i9!6 §)C!,A433100 \D INTRODUCTION A busy child is a happy child. When boys and girls are tired of play and you suggest that they make something, remember that ex- pensive materials and an elaborate equipment are not necessary. If you will show them how to use what they have or what they can easily obtain, they will not only derive much pleasure, but will also learn a lesson in economy that they will not forget, a lesson they can apply to real work as well as play work. Tell them to bring some discarded tin cans, sticks, and boxes, a hammer, a knife, and a few nails. How eagerly they work when you answer their question, "What can we make out of these?" Encour- age them to try experiments of their own, thus developing their in- genuity. They appreciate your confidence in their judgment and often look up with a smile and say, "We have to think to make these things." As cans and boxes vary in size, it is well to let each child work out the proportions that are best for his own tin. The finished work will show an interesting individuality. Ill Assorted Materials IV CONTENTS MADE OF CYLINDERS OF TIN CANS PAGE Bench 50 Brush 28 Chair 50 Cooky Cutters - 32 Sand Shovel, No. 1 2 Sled 6 MADE OF ENDS OF TIN CANS Buzzer 8 Picture Frame 14 Plate, No. 1 , 12 Round Table - 12 Top 10 MADE OF TIN CAN CYLINDERS AND ENDS Biscuit Cutter 32 Strainer 32 MADE OF PUSH-IN COVERS OF TIN CANS Pin Tray 16 Plates, Nos. 2 and 3 12 CONTENTS V VI CONTENTS MADE OF TIN BOXES PAGE Bed 52 Bread or Cake Box 34 Dust-Pan 26 Knife and Fork Tray 36 Panorama 54 Scoop 34 MADE OF TIN BOX COVERS Blackboard 42 Calendar 44 Checker Game 46 Grater 34 Sand Shovel, No. 2 2 Table 52 MADE OF TIN CANS AND TIN BOXES Bungalow 48 Camp 4 Wagon 40 Wheelbarrow 38 CONTENTS VII m 5*5c^'^i VIII CONTENTS MADE OF ROUND TINS WITH COVERS PAGE Bank 18 Kaleidoscope 22 Salt-Cellar 32 Soap Shaker 20 General Directions X Tools XI i CONTENTS IX X GENERAL DIRECTIONS Open some cans at one end and some at the other. "■/■ t\.<\ r'*"' ■-■'"*". Remove the end of a tin can by melting the solder. TOOLS XI Hammer Raffia Needle Knife Ruler Paint Brushes Scissors Pencil Sharp Round Nails Glass Cutter (for Kaleidoscope) If you save the good you find, Odds and ends of every kind, You can make some tin can toys Just like these, little girls and boys. TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM What can these small tin shovels do? Make a sand mountain and tunnel it through, Dig a deep valley, build bridges, too, And castles with beautiful gardens for you. SAND SHOVEL, NO. 1 Materials:— Cylinder of tin can, stick, nails. Directions:— Flatten the cylinder by pounding it with a hammer. Cut the stick for the handle and nail it to the tin. SAND SHOVEL, NO. 2 Materials:— Tin box cover, stick, nails. Directions:— Fold the cover in half. Insert the end of the handle and nail it in place. SAND SHOVELS TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM The tiny toy troops will soon guard the camp. They are marching, are marching this way, For, hark! we now hear the brave tramp, tramp, tramp Of their stanch little scout master, Ray. CAMP Materials:— Two tin boxes, tin can cylinder with one end attached, wire, twigs. Directions:— To make the tent, stand the boxes on end, fitting the upper ends together. For the kettle, round out the bottom of the can by placing it over a broomstick and pounding the edge with a hammer. Make two holes in the can, on opposite sides and near the top. Insert the ends of the wire handle. Make the chain and hooks of small pieces of wire. Cut twigs for the kettle support and fire logs. CAMP 6 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Let us whittle a board for the top of a sled And nail on tin runners, then paint it bright red. What fun we shall have when the cold winds blow And the hill is covered with ice and snow! SLED Materials:— Two strips of tin, board, nails, paint. SLED 8 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Though this hums, hums, hums Like a busy bee, It is tin and string And can't sting me. BUZZER Materials:— End of tin can, string. Directions:— Flatten the tin by pounding down the edge. Make two holes in the tin, the same distance from and on opposite sides of the center. Be sure that the edges of the holes are smooth. Thread the string through one hole and back through the other. Tie the ends of the string together. The buzzer will hum louder if additional holes are made in the tin. BUZZER 9 10 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM A sharpened stick and a piece of tin Will make a top any boy can spin. TOP Materials:— End of tin can, round stick. Directions:— With a hammer and nail make a hole through the center of the tin. Insert the pointed end of the stick. TOP 11 12 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Henrietta was only three years old and could hardly lift the heavy hammer, but she wanted to help her brother Ben make a table. While he held a spool under the center of a round tin, she drove in two nails as straight as could be. She was so delighted with the pretty table that she showed it to Evelyn, who was making some mud pies and cakes all sugared with sand. When these dainties were baked in the sun, the children put them on tin can plates and invited their dolls to a tea-party. ROUND TABLE Materials:— End of tin can, spool, nails. PLATES Materials:— No. 1. End of tin can. Nos. 2 and 3. Push-in covers of tin cans. ROUND TABLE, PLATES 13 14 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Just like Cinderella, this tin can end Transformed has been by a kind, kind friend. PICTURE FRAME Materials:— End of tin can, wire, raffia. Directions:— Make two holes near the edge of the tin and insert the ends of the wire loop. Turn back the ends to hold the loop in place. Cover the tin and the wire loop with raffia, buttonhole stitch. PICTURE FRAME 15 16 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Patiently work and work with care, Hammer and hammer away. Slowly, but surely, the leaf will appear Embossed on the dainty tray. PIN TRAY Materials:— Push-in cover of tin can, leaf for design. Directions:— Place the leaf on the tin and trace around the edge. Remove the leaf and draw the veins. With a hammer and sharp pointed nail indent the outline and veins. Fill in the background by making indentations close together and irregular. PIN TRAY 17 18 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Save your little pennies. Save your little dimes. Soon you'll have a dollar And many happy times. BANK Material:— Tin can with cover. Directions:— With a hammer and knife cut a slit in the cover of the can large enough to insert coins. BANK 19 20 r ' TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM When I was bought by thrifty Jack, Nothing pleased me unless it was black. Now, with the help of busy Irene, I like to keep things white and clean. SOAP SHAKER Materials:— Tin box with cover, wire. Directions:— With a hammer and nail make a hole through the center of the box and, also, through the center of the cover. Make holes in the cover and in the box, radiating from, these central holes. Bend the wire to make the handle and push the ends through the central holes. Turn down the ends to hold the handle securely. SOAP SHAKER 21 22 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM KALEIDOSCOPE Did you ever find a queer red box in your Christmas stocking, a box with a little round hole in one end, and, on the other end, a glass cover that would not come off? Katharine did not know what to do with the one Santa Claus brought her, until Auntie told her to hold it up to the light, turn it slowly around, and look through the little hole. What a rainbow of pretty colors she saw! What an ever chang- ing wonderland of flowers and fairies! Katharine played with her kaleidoscope so much that the rim around the ground glass end finally loosened. One day, she cautiously KALEIDOSCOPE 23 took it off and lifted the glass. She was surprised to find some broken bits of colored glass and a tiny piece of lace. These were surrounded by a ring of tin and were resting on a piece of plain glass, under which were three oblong pieces of looking-glass. As Katharine carefully put everything back in place, she wondered whether the fairies had been frightened away or whether they were wearing fern seed in their shoes to make them invisible. If you try, you can make a kaleidoscope out of one of Mother's baking-powder cans. You do not need looking-glass. A strip of bright tin bent the required shape will do. The tin will reflect the light. In- stead of ground glass, tissue paper placed under a piece of window- 24 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM glass may be used to give the ground glass effect. When it is all finished, the rainbow fairies will dance as merrily for you as they did in Katharine's kaleidoscope. KALEIDOSCOPE Materials:— Round tin can with cover, strip of bright tin, ring of tin or cardboard, two round pieces of glass, small pieces of colored glass, small piece of lace. KALEIDOSCOPE 25 ^■^JlOll* 26 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Dick was nimble. Dick was quick. Dick made a dust-pan Of a box and stick. DUST-PAN Materials:— Tin box, stick, nails. Directions:— After melting or cutting the solder at the two corners turn out one long side of the box. Fold under half of this side. Round off the free corners of the ends of the box. Make the handle and nail it in place. DUST-PAN 27 28 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM A broom that is new sweeps well, it is true, The straws from an old broom will, too. If these straws you will take, a brush you can make, That will sweep just as well as if new. BRUSH Materials:— Cylinder of tin can, straws from an old broom, stick, nails. Directions:— Place the ends of the straws in the cylinder. Flatten the cylinder and fold it in half. Insert the handle and nail it in place. Trim the straws. BRUSH 29 30 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM One little, two little, three little tin cans, Four little, five little, six little tin cans, Seven little, eight little, nine little tin cans, Ten little empty tins. Ten little, nine little, eight little kitchen, Seven little, six little, five little kitchen, Four little, three little, two little kitchen, One little kitchen tin. TEN LITTLE EMPTY TINS, TEN LITTLE KITCHEN TINS 31 4Lv. : : ^Bm '" """'""* 32 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM COOKY CUTTERS Materials:— Cylinders of tin cans. Directions:— Bend the cylinders the desired shapes. SALT-CELLAR Material:— Tin can with cover. Directions:— With a hammer and nail make holes in the cover of the can. Smooth the edges of the holes by pounding with a hammer. BISCUIT CUTTER Material:— Tin can cylinder with one end attached. STRAINER Materials:— Tin can cylinder with one end attached, wire. Directions:— Make holes in the bottom of the can, smoothing the edges as in the salt-cellar. Round out the bottom of the can by plac- ing it over a broomstick and pounding the edge. Make two holes on opposite sides and near the top of the can. Insert the ends of the wire handle. COOKY CUTTERS, SALT-CELLAR, BISCUIT CUTTER, STRAINER 33 34 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM SCOOP Materials:— Tin box, strip of tin. Directions:— Cut the box scoop shape. Turn in the edges of the strip of tin and bend it to form the handle. Make two incisions in the bottom of the box. Insert the ends of the handle. Turn back the ends to hold the handle securely. GRATER Materials:— Cover of tin box, wire. Directions:— With a hammer and nail make holes in the cover. Bend the wire for the handle and fasten it to the cover by turning the long sides of the cover down over the wire. BREAD OR CAKE BOX Materials:— Box with hinged cover, paint. Directions:— Paint and letter the box. SCOOP, GRATER, BREAD OR CAKE BOX 35 36 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM If dear Mother Hubbard Should go to the cupboard To get her silver to-day, Her surprise would be great, Knives and forks are so straight, Side by side in a useful new tray. KNIFE AND FORK TRAY Materials:— Tin box, strip of tin, board, nails. Directions:— Cut the board the required size and nail it to the box, dividing the box lengthwise into two equal parts. Make the tin handle and nail it in place. KNIFE AND FORK TRAY 37 am jjj l ^l 1 '* ■ t ...""~" ^jfflMft»B . ■ ■ • ';~?-< aa^ajaM^Mte ^ — ' ■ 38 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Timothy Taylor, the tinner's son, Tinkers and hammers and thinks it is fun. This wheelbarrow neat is his latest feat. Tim trundles it, trundles it down the street. WHEELBARROW Materials:— Tin box, sticks, end of tin can, spool, large nail, small nails. Directions:— Cut the sticks for the framework and nail them to- gether. Cut the spool in half and nail one half to each side of the tin wheel. Fasten the wheel in place, using the large nail for the axle. Cut off or turn under one end of the box. Nail the box to the frame- work. WHEELBARROW 39 40 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM "Can I really make a wagon out of that?" If the playground had been suddenly changed into fairy-land, Joe would not have looked more surprised. How could he do it, he, little Joe, who had always lived "up the alley" and had never had any toys? How could he make a wagon out of the tin box with which his baby sister was play- ing in the sand? A new light came into his eyes and his face brightened as he learned how to cut some sticks and nail them to the box. He used the ends of two tin cans for wheels. Baby did not understand what Joe was doing, but she was happier, too, when she found that the wagon was much better than the box for carrying sand. WAGON Materials:— Tin box; two tin can ends; sticks for axle, handle, and crosspiece; nails. WAGON 41 ^^^^^ I^H • ^^^ - 42 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Can you guess what Joe did with the cover of the box? He nailed four sticks to it and painted it black. When the blackboard was finished, he took it home. His father taught him to write his name and draw funny pictures. BLACKBOARD Materials:— Cover of tin box, four sticks, nails, black paint. BLACKBOARD 43 44 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Spring, summer, winter, and fall, The glorious Fourth, and birthdays,— This calendar holds them all. CALENDAR Materials:— Cover of tin box, calendar cards, paint. Directions:— Find the center of each of the two long sides of the cover. Cut the sides at these points and fold the cover. Paint or gild the tin. Slip in the calendar cards, pressing down the sides and end of the tin to hold the cards in place. CALENDAR 45 46 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Hippity, hoppity, black over red, Hoppity, hippity, red over black, Plain little checkers charge right on ahead; Only the kings can ever march back. CHECKER GAME Materials:— Two oblong tin box covers, tin for checkers, paint. Directions:— Place the covers together to form a square. Divide this square into sixty-four small squares, eight each way. Paint the squares red and black, alternating the colors. Cut out twenty-four tin checkers and paint twelve red and twelve black. CHECKER GAME 47 48 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM Although rusty the cans were and dusty and worn, They were hammered and painted one summer morn By the children, who knew they should not scorn Any tins,— tomato, cracker, or corn. As furniture quaint, some will soon adorn This bungalow queer that was built by Bert Horn. BUNGALOW Materials:— Tin cans, tin boxes, stick for ridge-pole. Directions:— In building the bungalow use the cans and boxes as blocks. For the roof cut open the cylinders of several cans, bend them the required shape, and place them across the ridge-pole. BUNGALOW 49 50 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM CHAIR Material:— Narrow tin can cylinder. Directions:— Cut the cylinder and fold the tin as shown in the photograph. BENCH Material:— Wide tin can cylinder. Directions:— Cut the cylinder and fold the tin as shown in the photograph. CHAIR, BENCH 51 - ^jBS*' y . flfl ^^^fc^ v ' J- <*£ 7W ■..■■■■.- . ■ ■ w% ~\--r.:'.- ... ._-,-_... — ^ ■ ■ ■ - u\ 1 52 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM BED Materials:— Oblong tin box, two pieces of wire. Directions:— With a hammer and nail make a hole in each of the four corners of the box just large enough to insert the wire. Bend the wire to form the head-board and the foot-board and push the ends through the holes the required distance. TABLE Materials:— Cover of tin box, sticks, nails. Directions:— Cut four sticks of equal size for the legs of the table and nail them in place. BED, TABLE 53 54 TIN CAN TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM See this panorama! How it turns, turns, turns! It is never ending For it turns, turns, turns. Back its way now wending, Still it turns, turns, turns. PANORAMA Materials:— Tin box, two sticks, long strip of paper, pictures, paste. Directions:— Cut an oblong hole in the bottom of the box, also, two round holes in each of the two long sides of the box. Cut the sticks for the rollers and put them in place. Paste pictures on the long strip of paper. Paste the ends of the paper around the rollers. PANORAMA 55