Create a Stop Motion Video Using Cans
Make a stop-motion video using empty cans, a smartphone or camera, and simple props; plan scenes, move cans slowly, and edit frames into animation.
Step-by-step guide to create a stop motion video using cans
Step 1
Gather 3 to 6 empty cans and place them on a clean flat table.
Step 2
Draw a simple 6-panel storyboard on paper showing how the cans will move or act.
Step 3
Make a background by taping cardboard or poster paper upright behind the table.
Step 4
Arrange the cans and props in the starting positions shown in the first storyboard panel.
Step 5
Set your phone or camera on a stack of books or a tripod so the camera will not move.
Step 6
Open the camera app or a stop-motion app on your device.
Step 7
Take the first photo of the scene.
Step 8
Move the cans a tiny amount (about a fingernail’s width) toward the next pose.
Step 9
Take another photo.
Step 10
Repeat moving the cans a tiny amount and then taking a photo until you have captured every panel from your storyboard.
Step 11
Import the photos into a stop-motion app or video editor and arrange them in order.
Step 12
Set the frame rate to about 8 to 12 frames per second and preview your animation.
Step 13
Export or save the finished video to your device.
Step 14
Share your stop-motion video on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have empty cans or a tripod?
If you don't have empty cans or a tripod, use similarly sized clean plastic bottles or small boxes for the cans and prop your phone on a stable stack of books or a shoe box instead of a tripod.
Why does my stop-motion look jumpy and how can I fix it?
If the video is jumpy or the cans shift, make sure the camera is fixed on the stack of books or tripod, tape the cardboard background so it doesn't move, keep lighting steady, and move each can only about a fingernail's width before taking the next photo.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For younger kids, use 3 cans and a simpler 3-panel storyboard with larger moves between photos, while older kids can use up to 6 cans, a full 6-panel storyboard, fingernail-width movements, and edit at around 12 fps for smoother animation.
How can we make the stop-motion more creative or advanced?
Decorate the cans and tape a painted cardboard background, add paper props or small LED lights for effects, then import the photos into the stop-motion app to add music or voiceover and tweak the frame rate before exporting and sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to create a stop motion video using cans
How to make Stop Motions for Beginners Part 1 (Stop Motion Tutorial)
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How to make Stop Motions for Beginners Part 1 (Stop Motion Tutorial)
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Facts about stop-motion animation for kids
🐶 Aardman Animations (the studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep) made stop-motion famous with lovable character animation.
🥫 Aluminum cans make great lightweight, stackable props and can be recycled indefinitely, so you can reuse or recycle them after your shoot.
🤳 Many smartphones offer focus/exposure lock or stop-motion apps to keep lighting and framing steady between shots.
📸 Shooting at about 10–12 frames per second gives pleasing motion — a 5-second scene at 12 fps needs 60 photos (frames).
🎞️ Stop-motion animation goes back to the late 1800s — an early example is The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898), which animated toy figures.
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