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Bake perfectly round breadUse small coffee cans to bake perfectly cylindrical loaves of bread. Use your favorite recipe but put the dough in a well-greased coffee can instead of a loaf pan. For yeast breads use two cans and fill each only half full. Grease the inside of the lids and place them on the cans. For yeast breads, you will know when it is time to bake when the rising dough pushes the lids off. Place the cans -- without the lids -- upright in the oven to bake.
Separate hamburgersBefore you put those hamburger patties in the freezer, stack them with a coffee-can lid between each and put them in a plastic bag. Now, when the patties are frozen you'll be able to easily peel off as many as you need.
Hold kitchen scrapsLine a coffee can with a small plastic bag and keep it near the sink to hold kitchen scraps and peelings. Instead of walking back and forth to the garbage can, you'll make one trip to dump all the scraps at the same time.
Make a bankTo make a bank for the kids or a collection can for a favorite charity, use a utility knife to cut a 1/8-inch (3-millimeter) slit in the center of the plastic lid of a coffee can. Tape decorative paper or adhesive plastic to the sides of the kids' bank; for a collection can, use the sides of the can to highlight the charity you are helping.
Create a toy holderMake a decorative container for kids' miniature books and small toys. Wash and dry a coffee can and file off any sharp edges. Sponge on two coats of white acrylic paint, letting it dry between coats. Cut out a design from an old sheet or pillowcase to wrap around the can. Mix 4 tablespoons white glue with enough water to the consistency of paint. Paint on the glue mixture and gently press the fabric onto the can. Trim the bottom and tuck top edges inside the can. Apply two coats of glue mixture over the fabric overlay, letting it dry between coats.
Store beltsIf you have more belts than places to hang them up, just roll them up and store them in a cleaned-out coffee can with a clear lid. Coffee cans are just the right size to keep belts from creasing, and clear lids will let you find each belt easily.
Keep the laundry room neatHave an empty coffee can nearby as you're going through the kids' pockets before putting up a load of wash. Use it to deposit gum and candy wrappers, paper scraps, and other assorted items that kids like to stuff into their pockets. Keep another can handy for coins and bills.
Make a dehumidifierIf your basement is too damp, try this easy-to-make dehumidifier. Fill an empty coffee can with salt and leave it in a corner where it will be undisturbed. Replace the salt at monthly intervals or as needed.
Keep carpets dryPlace plastic coffee-can lids under houseplants as saucers. They will protect carpets or wood floors and catch any excess water.
Keep toilet paper dry when campingBring a few empty coffee cans with you on your next camping trip. Use them to keep toilet paper dry in rainy weather or when you're carrying supplies in a canoe or boat.
Gauge rainfall or sprinkler coverageFind out if your garden is getting enough water from the rain. Next time it starts to rain, place empty coffee cans in several places around the garden. When the rain stops, measure the depth of the water in the cans. If they measure at least an inch, there's no need for additional watering. This is also a good way to test if your sprinkler is getting sufficient water to the areas it is supposed to cover.
Make a coffee-can bird feederTo fashion a coffee can into a sturdy bird feeder, begin with a full can and open the top only halfway. (Pour the coffee into an airtight container.) Then open the bottom of the can halfway the same way. Carefully bend the cut ends down inside the can so the edges are not exposed to cut you. Punch a hole in the side of the can at both ends, where it will be the "top" of the feeder, and put some wire through each end to make a hanger.
Make a spot lawn seederWhen it's time to reseed bare spots on your lawn, don't use a regular spreader. It wastes seed by throwing it everywhere. For precision seeding, fashion a spot seeder from an empty coffee can and a pair of plastic lids. Drill small holes in the bottom of the can, just big enough to let grass seeds pass through. Put one lid over the bottom of the can, fill the can with seeds, and cap it with the other lid. When you're ready to spread the seeds, take off the bottom lid. When you're finished, replace it to seal in any unused seed for safe storage.
Eliminate workshop clutterYou want small items like screws, nuts, and nails to be handy, but you don't want them to take up workbench space. Here's a way to get the small stuff up out of the way. Drill a hole near the top of empty coffee cans so you can hang them on nails in your workshop wall. Label the cans with masking tape so you will know what's inside.
Soak a paintbrushAn empty coffee can is perfect for briefly soaking a paintbrush in thinner before continuing a job the next day. Cut an X into the lid and insert the brush handles so the bristles clear the bottom of the can by about 1/2 inch (12 millimeters). If the can has no lid, attach a stick to the brush handle with a rubber band to keep the bristles off the bottom of the can.
Catch paint dripsTurn the plastic lids from old coffee cans into drip catchers under paint cans and under furniture legs when you're painting. Protect cupboard shelves by putting them under jars of cooking oil and syrup too.
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