We love holiday-themed summer crafts for kids and this Uncle Sam chip can craft is an easy one.

Upcycle an empty potato chip can with common craft supplies to create a cute 4th of July craft decoration in about 20 minutes.

When it’s finished, you can place it on a shelf, use it to display red, white, and blue flowers, or as a table centerpiece.

So dig into the snack cabinet, grab the printable patterns, and get crafting with the kids!

Chip can made to look like Uncle Sam's head wearing a hat. Small green plant out of focus in background. Top of picture has white text outlined in black that says Uncle Sam Chip Can. Bottom has red and blue text that says 4th of July Craft For Kids.

You may also enjoy making our coffee filter fireworks craft. We also have a coffee filter Uncle Sam in our coffee filter crafts book.

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Table of Contents

Uncle Sam Potato Chip Can Fourth of July Craft

Are you looking for fun craft ideas for kids with Pringles cans or any other empty potato chip cans?

This is an adorable project to work on at home as a family to celebrate Independence Day in the US.

I love easy craft projects like this that use supplies I tend to have around the house.

Kids can practice tracing and scissor skills using our Uncle Sam Can pattern. They can also help with cleaning the inside of the empty can and painting the outside.

For this craft project we’ll be hot gluing craft foam to the painted cans. If you need an alternative to using a hot glue gun, I recommend my favorite tacky craft glue.

It will take longer to dry and may not be as durable as hot gluing, but it is an option.

Younger children will need assistance with assembly and older children may use a low temp hot glue gun while supervised at your discretion.

Completed Uncle Sam chip can craft project standing up next to a small box of sparklers with some of the sparklers spilling out.

Uncle Sam Chip Craft Supplies:

UNCLE SAM CHIP CAN CRAFT TEMPLATE (available by filling out the form at the bottom of this post)
Recycled Pringles Chip Can
White Acrylic Craft Paint
Flesh Tone of Choice Acrylic Craft Paint
Red, Blue and White Craft Foam
Googly Eyes
Silver Glitter Cardstock
Star Paper Punch
¼” Circle Hole Punch
Paintbrush
Scissors
Pencil or Marker
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks or tacky craft glue

Cleaning The Chip Can

Since it once contained potato chips, you’ll want to clean the can ahead of time. Here’s how to clean the inside of a Pringles can, Stax can, or another chip can.

First, dump remaining crumbs into the garbage. Use a bottle brush with a little bit of soap and water to wash the can sides and bottom. Carefully rinse or wipe out with a damp cloth or paper towel, then dry it.

Since the outside of the can is made of cardboard, you want to be careful not to get it soaking wet.

Kids can help with wiping the can out, especially since their small hands likely fit in the tube better!

Finished Uncle Sam chip can Fourth of July craft for kids. Chip can made to look like Uncle Sam's hat and face in a cute style. Off to the right in the back is a small fake green plant and a roll of twine.

How to Make an Uncle Sam Chip Can:

First, prep your chip can. Clean the inside if you haven’t already. Then apply a base coat of white acrylic paint to the outside of the can. Set it aside to dry and apply another coat of paint if needed. Put the lid back on.

Empty Pringles can partially painted over with white paint standing upright next to a bottle of white acrylic paint and a paint brush.

Next, download and print out our printable Uncle Sam can patterns. Grab it for free using the form near the end of the post.

Cut out all of the Uncle Sam Chip Can Patterns. Use the patterns to trace onto red, white, and blue craft foam according to the instructions on the pattern sheet with pencil or marker. Cut out all of the craft foam pieces with scissors.

Hat brim pattern traced on red craft foam and cut out.

Attach the red craft foam stripes vertically to the top of the chip can just below the lid with a hot glue gun. (If using tacky craft glue, allow time for glue to dry in between steps.)

Hot gluing red craft foam pieces onto white painted chip can to make stripes.

Glue the blue craft foam hat band horizontally onto the chip can. Slide the red craft foam hat brim onto the chip can and secure it with glue under the hat band.

Red and blue craft foam pieces glued onto chip can painted white to make Uncle Sam's hat.

Now trace the face pattern onto the chip can with a pencil and paint Uncle Sam’s face with the flesh tone color of your choice. Let dry and apply a second coat as needed.

White woman's hand painting Uncle Sam's face onto chip can.

Use the silver glitter cardstock to punch out (or hand cut) six stars and one circle nose. Attach the stars onto the blue hat band with the glue gun.

Glue the googly eyes, nose, and mustache to his face. (Use our photos as a guide for assembling Uncle Sam’s facial features).

Uncle Sam chip can laying down showing eyes, nose, and mustache glued on and silver stars on hat band. Next to the project is a strip of silver glitter cardstock with stars punched out, a circle hand punch, and a hot glue gun.

It’s ready to be set out for a 4th of July decoration. You could also cut a slit into the lid to turn him into a bank for the kids.

Completed Uncle Sam made from an empty Pringles chip can. Small green decorative plant and a role of black and white twine are in the background.

More 4th of July Activities:

Uncle Sam Chip Can Craft

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $10 or less

Make this adorable Uncle Sam chip can craft for a fun Fourth of July craft for kids.

Materials

UNCLE SAM CHIP CAN CRAFT TEMPLATE (available by filling out the form at the bottom of this post)
Recycled Pringles Chip Can
White Acrylic Craft Paint
Flesh Tone of Choice Acrylic Craft Paint
Red, Blue and White Craft Foam
Googly Eyes
Silver Glitter Cardstock

Tools

Star Paper Punch
¼” Circle Hole Punch
Paintbrush
Scissors
Pencil or Marker
Glue Gun or Tacky Craft Glue

Instructions

First, prep your chip can. Clean the inside if you haven’t already. Then, apply a base coat of white acrylic paint to the outside of the can. Set it aside to dry, and apply another coat of paint if needed. Put the lid back on.
Download and print out our printable Uncle Sam can patterns.
Cut out all of the Uncle Sam Chip Can Patterns. Use the patterns to trace onto red, white, and blue craft foam according to the instructions on the pattern sheet with a pencil or marker. Cut out all of the craft foam pieces with scissors.
With a hot glue gun, attach the red craft foam stripes vertically to the top of the chip can just below the lid. (If using tacky craft glue, allow time for the glue to dry between steps.)
Glue the blue craft foam hat band horizontally onto the chip can. Slide the red craft foam hat brim onto the chip can and secure it with glue under the hat band.
Now trace the face pattern onto the chip can with a pencil and paint Uncle Sam’s face with the flesh-tone color of your choice. Let it dry, and apply a second coat as needed.
Use the silver glitter cardstock to punch out (or hand cut) six stars and one circle nose.
Glue the googly eyes, nose, and mustache to his face. (Use our photos to reference Uncle Sam’s facial features).
Attach the stars to the blue hat band with the glue gun.
It’s ready to be set out for a 4th of July decoration. You could also cut a slit into the lid to turn him into a bank for the kids.

Notes

How to clean the inside of a Pringles chip can.

Dump remaining crumbs into the garbage.
Use a bottle brush with a little bit of soap and water to wash the can sides and bottom.
Carefully rinse or wipe out with a damp cloth or paper towel, then dry it.