DIY Craft Projects using Old Ceiling tin tiles - Trash to Treasure

If you found a project particularly inspiring please email me.

I love metal junk, and when I found these metal architectural pieces recently I just had to have them.

They would be great window boxes just as they are. You see the tops are open. After examining them at home I realized that they come apart with just a little encouragement.

So now I have 6 of these corbel or sconces.

They now flank each side of my hutch
These are fun as you could also add a piece of wood to the top and it becomes a small shelf.

For now I'm going to leave them open at the top for dried flowers.

All these needed was a little cleaning and some wood added to the backs and hangers.

Corner Wall Shelf by Margo

This is an old corner piece from a tin ceiling. First I sealed the rust with a spray on varnish.

Then I added a square piece as a top and hangers to the back to be able to attach it to the wall

2 nails on the perpendicular walls of a small corner area

Hang and accessorize.

Ceiling tin as an insert

To dress up any old table just add some old ceiling tin.
You might need to trim it a bit, use tin snips for this, and be sure to wear gloves. To limit chipping of paint, seal it with a polyurethane that won't yellow.

here are 2 examples of cheap garage sale tables that I've dressed up with old Ceiling tin.

After the table was painted I just glued and nailed the tin in place.

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This project was submitted by Rosemary, a Ceiling Tin Shelf. I believe this tin was actually an old tin crown molding. What a great idea to turn it into a shelf.

Here is one that I made, it is much smaller, I've added instructions for this project at the bottom of this page

Crafty Ladee shows her great Ceiling Tin Shelf. Notice how she finished off the sides and top. Nice Touch.

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I love this picture from Tina56. The birdhouse uses several reclaimed Items. I see the tin roof, and an old door knob, Old gingerbread, and spindle for the stand. What great projects.

This is also from Tina. I'm not exactly sure how to cut the hole, but if you could get that done the rest would be easy. Just attach a mirror behind, and hang it on the wall.

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In this display, you can see that I just hung a couple of old tin panels, inside an old weathered frame. *******************

craftyladie Has made this great table from an old Ceiling Tin, click the picture for a larger version

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Ceiling Tin Art

Karinlynne on HGTV Board submits this project

She Writes: "I took an old tin ceiling panel and purchased 4"x 4" blank canvases (the dimension of the design in the tile). I painted the 6 panels 3 colors to match my bedding and wall colors. I stenciled designs on them in the other colors of the canvases. I attached the canvases with Quake Hold so as not to destroy the rusty tin patina. We put it on the wall with mirror clips and it came out perfectly."

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Tin Ceiling panels behind old shutters

For this project, I simply took these shutters
that I had picked up at a garage sale. They were originally designed for fabric panels and had no slats. I painted them and then I cut a piece of ceiling tin, that I had, into 3 parts. I then mounted the ceiling tin to the backside of the shutters with nails. Being careful to line up the panel between all 3. After playing with several ways to hang them I decided to attach them all together and hang as one piece. They could also be separated and/or hung at different levels.

What did I do with the other shutter? See below.

For this project I took an old shutter that was missing it's insert, I added some old ceiling tin in behind it, and some old trim for a top shelf. I painted it all to match and then distressed it with some sanding. Then I added some recycled hooks to finish it off.

This was the front of an old radio. I painted it, added a shelf, and put an old piece of ceiling tin behind it. I was stumped for awhile as to what to put behind it. I thought of stained glass, but couldn't decide on what color, then I thought of lace, or velum. I finally decided on the tin and I think it's perfect.

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Used as an insert on this shabby cabinet door

Instructions for Ceiling Tin Shelf

Here's how to make a shelf from an old piece of Ceiling Tin. First you need to get a piece that was formerly part of a tin crown molding. These can be found at flea markets, junk shops etc. I paid $10 for a piece and was able to make 2 shelves and 2 small brackets. The method for shelves and brackets is the same. The piece of tin will look like this:

Then cut 2 pieces of scrap wood, into this shape. Use the curves of the tin to get your exact cut:

Then Nail the tin to the side pieces

Attach the shelf to the top, Use a piece of scrap wood, and cut it to the length and depth that the tin allows. Then nail it to the top of the end pieces, and then bend the tin up to meet the wooden shelf using a hammer. Then Nail it to the top shelf piece.

You'll have some tin left hanging off the bottom. Use a hammer to bend this tin backwards behind the shelf and nail it down.

Paint, and distress and you are done.

The process is the same for a longer shelf
You could use a little caulk to fill in the gaps on the side if you want.
Helpful hints: The best way to bend this metal is with a hammer, Use gloves when working with tin. Use tin snips to cut it to the size you want. Sand the rough edges of the tin, and hammer down the corners so they won't be so sharp. When painting, paint the edges of the tin as well, this will make it less sharp.

Main Projects Page

T2T Furniture Ideas

New life for old luggage

Projects with old shutters

Projects for old windows and doors

How to make lamp from almost anything

Projects for Old Balusters, Spindles, and Porch Posts

Garden Benches from Old Beds and Cribs

Quick Projects

Past Projects/Artists of the week

Budget Decorating Ideas

Decorating with Baskets