The artist Rita Botelho has made these absolutely great salt and pepper shakers out of film canisters. They cost $35 at the MOMA online store (you can also get these gift-wrapped), but that seems a little steep for salt and pepper shakers that look like film canisters. You could probably make your own using film canisters and a sharp thumb tack or thick needle, poking them into the shape of an S and a P (make sure the holes are big enough for the grains to pass through). Anyway, what a great idea for recycling film canisters you no longer have use for. Other uses for film canisters include: matchstick holders (they’re great for keeping your matches dry when you go camping), toothbrush protectors (cut an appropriate-sized hole in the lid and protect your toothbrush while you travel), containers for quarters (or other coins, though quarters fit so perfectly and are convenient for Laundromats and toll booths), pill containers (you can even get a series of them and label them with days of the week, if you’re a several-pill-a-day kind of person), or a dispenser for a roll of stamps (cut a slit in the lid).
What are some of the ways you use empty film canisters? Leave your comments below.
