Decorating a metal tin- what prep to do etc?

[Flower0503]

Help from anyone crafty please - I want to prep metal coffee tins for kids to decorate as a craft activity, making pencil pots (with foam stickers, washi tape, possibly acrylic pens). I'm assuming I need to prime the tins first? Any recommendations on type of primer to use? Once primed can I then paint with acrylic pain? Or can I just go directly with acrylic paint on them? Thank you 😊

I wouldn't think acrylic would necessarily be a great idea unless you can find a suitable hard varnish to go on top after painting. It peels and scrapes off easily. So using a varnish or laquer would help to preserve the acrylic surface (you can get matt or shiny I think just look for an acrylic varnish online and what is suitable).

You might not need to prime it, if you can find a varnish to go over the top after you've painted it.

That said if you want really bright colours priming it will help - as they will show up brighter on a white surface likely - so could be worth it for that reason.

Thank you, if not using acrylic paint what would you recommend? Im a bit clueless with craft stuff. I basically want to get the coffee tin all a plain colour, ready for kids to decorate with stickers/washi tape. Probably white or pink colour preference for the coffee tin.

Hmm I wonder if a cheap enamel spray paint might be quickest / best. You can get a matt finish one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plasti-kote-3100SE-400ml-Super-Spray/dp/B001GU8B18/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RUXyPlltXsso_62aFZPXu2lOnzOcwqsGixCCb9bFhBJFSBMhO7UzZnuBIwLM_DkojnFwHKJP4yqZN0AHPWJ5wEr4PsSETQzgPBhX5xrO0bzioLjdgrE1FaWjhrcjFWQpoD5WDL0cySeL0tLOjsHXJA3DgsxZ0WllAKEjVIV4k2fezsq82afNB6m0w_UywrL2ZIHbjcqqGdWk7X6xr-1EclpmPHKGLLKWFVT_9OjhBJdgzB3zGyIm0-xAKrCbWv7Rl-v6ypybCluw076oOICp7pOVmSprH9iYHPQHlzQX6YI.7UrUUwqIrtq5mDIZwlzkmCOcVtrXX40J3xk3h2afRP4&dib_tag=se&keywords=matt+white+spray+paint&qid=1705783070&sr=8-6

for example

then if it's matt it will be easier to stick things on, paint etc. Gloss might be more slippery

if it's just for kids then if they paint on it in acrylic or poster paint etc it might not matter so much if it chips after it's dry anyway.

I also think the acrylic paint might adhere ok to the matt surface

can't promise though - might be worth doing a tester!

alternately could you glue sheets of white plain paper (like printer paper cut to size) onto the coffee tin? maybe using spray mount or pritt stick

this would be an easy surface to paint on and wouldn't chip off etc

I'd spray paint them with an enamel paint and varnish them after they've been decorated.

This is how I do decoupage (e.g. on furniture).