Don't Have Room for a Barbecue? You Can Turn a Tin Can Into a Tiny Grill

You don't need a big backyard to barbecue hot dogs this Fourth of July—or even a full-sized grill, for that matter. As this video from Mr Useful illustrates, all you need is a tin can, some charcoal, and a few other basic supplies you may already have in your toolbox at home.

First, start out with a clean, empty tin can. Use a wire cutter to slice the can in half lengthwise (also known as hot dog style). From there, you'll need to do some simple handiwork. Drill four holes into one of the can halves and plug them with four bolts to act as the legs holding up your tiny grill. Next, join both halves of the can together with a hinge, and screw a small knob into the lid to use as a handle.

Now that the basic structure has been assembled, you're almost ready to grill. To build the grate that will hold your food above the coals, bend a metal wire into a zigzag shape that's just big enough to fit inside your barbecue.

The next steps aren't very different from what you'd do with a regular barbecue: Load in some small nuggets of charcoal, fire them up, and lay your favorite grillable item on the grate. Then keep the lid closed until your (tiny) meal has been charred to perfection.

You might need to make some sacrifices when cooking with a tin can barbecue—it's not great for feeding a crowd, or even feeding yourself a ribeye steak—but if you're sticking to smaller items like shrimp, hot dogs, or mushrooms for one or two people, the miniature grill makes a lot out of a little. Check out the full instructions for putting one together below.