How to turn an iconic World War II fuel can into a portable minibar

Jerry cans date back to World War II. Their original purpose was to carry fuel, but with this nifty DIY project you can give a them a very stylish modern upgrade. With just a few tools, some spare time and a bit of effort, you can turn a jerry can into a portable minibar.

The instructions for this adult-friendly craft can be found on the Instructables website. There is an accompanying video to make the process even easier to follow.

Once you’ve cut into the jerry can to create a door, you can add hinges and latches that make the can easy to seal up once again. Install some wooden shelves inside the can to keep the contents nice and neat. Add soda, liquor and glasses so that you can mix up the perfect cocktail—wherever you happen to be!

Watch the video below to see how it’s done:

Once you’ve fully stocked your minibar, you can make it a permanent addition to your bar cart (it’s sure to be a conversation starter with guests), or take it with you wherever you go—it’s definitely portable! We think this cool minibar would make a great addition to a camping trip, a picnic or a tailgating party.

This certainly isn’t the most difficult thing to DIY, but just in case you’re not very handy with a set of tools, there are other options available. For instance, you can purchase jerry can minibars on Etsy. They can run you upwards of $125, but hey, that seems like a fair price for such a unique, handmade item.

If you really want to drop some cash on a jerry can minibar, Danish Fuel makes some beautiful ones:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWowkkoARW3/?hl=en&taken-by=danishfuel

While we’ll be the first to admit that jerry can minibars are pretty cool, there are many ways to repurpose these WWII fuel containers. For instance, Danish Fuel also sells chic toiletry cabinets made from jerry cans. These beautiful and functional pieces will cost you, though. They sell for about $700.

Danish Fuel even remakes the iconic cans into suitcases:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNTcxxJBpSG/?taken-by=danishfuel

Who knew old-school jerry cans could have so many contemporary uses? After seeing these inspirational ideas, are you ready to create your very own minibar out of a jerry can? Cheers to this fun DIY project!