Tin Can Totem Poles

Well let's bring the fun of summer camp to your own backyard using a homemade totem pole. Hi, everybody I'm Forbes Riley, and I'm Caroline, and we're here the craft table with Family Fun. Now, it's easy to make your outdoor family portrait, you can even include the family pet. It's fun and you use coffee cans.

For a five-person totem pole, you'll need five coffee cans, each with two plastic lids that fit; a can opener; four clear plastic milk or water jugs; a liquid laundry detergent bottle; a 48-inch long wooden dowel, 7/8 inch in diameter; and duct tape. When decorating, you'll need water-based exterior paints in a variety of colors, a black marker, some paint brushes, a craft knife, and scissors. First, cut the bottom off each coffee can with a can opener, then give a can to each person to paint his or her portrait on. While the paint is drying, choose the can that you want to put on top of your totem pole and set one of its two lids to the side. Then, use a craft knife to cut a quarter-sized asterisk in the center of each of the remaining lids, then set them aside. Next, use scissors to cut the spout from each plastic jug and recycle the rest of it. We'll use the spout as spacers between the cans later. Finally, draw the wings on the detergent bottle, like this, and then cut them out. Once the cans are dry, place a lid on the top and bottom of each using the uncut lid for the top of the can that will crown your totem pole. Wrap a thick layer of duct tape about 6 to 12 inches from the bottom end of your dowel, depending on the size of your cans. Then add the cans and jug spouts. And, finally, place the wings between the top two cans. To showcase the finished totem pole indoors, place it inside a planter. You can also display it outside in your yard by simply pushing the dowel into the ground.