Beer can turned "mug" for paintbrushes...the challenges to complete this project

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I really love the shape and sturdiness of this beer can and wanted to use it to create a "mug" of sorts for LESSology Challenge #60: Mug Shot. I will share with you my process...the good and the bad. *winks*

First of all, removing the top part of the can proved to be more challenging than I thought. The conventional can opener would not fit because of the depth. Fortunately, my mum likes to keep everything so I found a really old-school can opener. It worked but it left really sharp edges so I had to cover it up with air-dry clay.

Next, I wanted to wrap some chipboard around it for some cool texture and pattern. But because of the way the can was shaped, I had a hard time adhering the chipboard around the whole can. So I used some remnant lace fabric for the bottom half of the can.

The next challenge came in the form of creating a "handle" for my mug. Should I drill holes and attach a plastic tube or fashion one out of clay? So many seemingly feasible ideas...but oh so much work! Then of course, a quick rummage through my "save-it-for-a-rainy-day" box yielded an old leather shoe strap. I adhered it with silicone and held it down with tape for 24 hours.

After removing the tape, I took my Frankenstein mug outside for a fresh coat of metallic paint.

Of course, the spray painted "mug" looked very decent until I examined it in daylight. There were some visible glue marks in some areas, the clay was patchy and of course, I needed more practice with the silicone dispenser. *insert super sad music here*

At this point, I was tempted to throw in the towel and just call it a misadventure in arting. Then I looked up at my wall of mixed media canvases...and decided that I was just going to embellish my way out of this bad situation. *LOL*

I got out my hot glue gun and all my pretty embellishments and covered up the bits that were bugging me. After all, flowers and bling can hide everything right? *high fives all around*

Well, the end project turned out halfway decent and I actually like it. The "handle" is fully functional and not purely decorative. In fact, I plan to hang it from a hook on a wall [since I don't really have a lot of desk space].

What do you think?