Hi
I really want to do an altered paint can as a present for my Mum (her birthday is early Feb) but I am struggling to find an empty can

My brother works for a DIY store so I was counting on him but apparently they never have empty ones in. I have seen some cans specifically for altering over here but they are part of a very expensive kit and I already have my own papers, embellishments, stamps etc that I want to use.
My OH has some paint cans that are nearly empty and he said I could have one of those but I'm not sure about getting it clean enough to use / getting rid of the icky paint smell.
Any suggestions would be most gratefully received!
Thanks

Pootle