The weather is changing and the spring cleaning is beginning. As you tackle the cluttered areas of your home and work, you may come across some plastic film canisters that hold 35mm film. These canisters have several secondary uses beyond their film storing use.
We would like to share with you a few creative ideas to give these canisters a second purpose. Donating these film canisters to your local photography specialty store can also provide a second purpose for them. Often we have customers and local organizations asking us for these to use for their own creative projects.
First Aid Kit
To make a first aid kit, clean out with soap and water. Put in a few band-aids and alcohol wipes. Poke a hole in lid and string through yarn to carry around your neck.
Portable Fishing Rig
With a film canister, you can make a portable fishing rig. Keep the line and hook inside, and the canister itself snaps onto the line as your bobber. When not in use, the line does not wrap around your other possessions, and the hook does not snag on fingers or clothing.
Cat Toy
A film canister can also be a highly amusing cat toy. They roll into more of the places cats like to play, and can also be tossed up a few inches into the air by a cat. You can put a jingle bell inside or something that will rattle. This is safe, because cats almost never chew their toys like dogs do. Just be sure you collect them all if you bring a dog or a baby into the house, or if you add a cat large enough to swallow them (unlikely).
Portable Spice or Pill Container
When heading out to on a trip, the film canisters can be used to store spices, condiments, or pills in smaller amounts than you would store at home.
Seed Storage
Use the canisters to save the seeds I pick from flowers or the plants in my garden. I put a slip of paper in with the seeds and the date I picked them.
Sewing Kit
You can put together a small emergency sewing kit in a film canister. Take a few different colors of thread and wind them around a small piece of cardboard that is short enough to fit inside the canister. Add a needle and a few safety pins, and you are all set. If you want to have scissors, too, you can find one of those small pocket knives with the scissors, or even just the knife blade if you are careful. Bring the canister with you when you are shopping to be sure the knife fits.
Money Storage
Use the film canisters to keep quarters in, usually one in my purse and another in my car. Whenever I want to purchase a newspaper or a soft drink out of a machine, I have the correct change with me. This could also be used for emergency gas money if you put a $5 bill in the canister.
Portable Aromatherapy
I've been introduced to aromatherapy and find that peppermint works extremely well for my headaches and lavender helps me relax when I'm feeling stressed. Since I don't want to carry the glass bottles in my briefcase, I fill Fuji cannisters near to the top with Epsom salts, add a few drops of essential oil and make a label for the blend. I can pop off the top and inhale deeply without offending my co-workers with my oil's lingering scent.
Rubber Stamps for Little Hands
Use the empty film canisters to mount rubber stamps on. Glue the stamp to the bottom, easy to hold onto while stamping the image. This could also help someone with arthritis who might need a larger handle to hold onto.
Pet Tags
When vacationing or visiting a friend, I cut two slits--approximately 1/2 inch apart--in the side a film canister and insert my dog's collar through the slits. Inside the canister I place a piece of paper with the following: dog's name, my name, address, home and cell phone numbers, vet information, where we are staying on vacation, etc. If the dog is staying at our friend's house, I put their information on the paper too. You can fit so much more vital information on the paper than what is on their ID tags.
Match Stick Holder
Before your next camping trip, glue sandpaper to the outside of the film canister and lid - then place your stick matches inside. Now you have waterproofed matches & somewhere to strike them!
Mini Moroccas
Paint the craft sticks black. Decorate the sticks and the containers using colored vinyl tape. Cut a slit in the tops to hold the craft sticks securely. Fill containers half full with rice, beans or beads. Replace the tops. Push in the crafts sticks.
For further information on the safety of using these plastic canisters for other purposes, visit the Kodak’s website to read their official statement.
