I’ve got an altoids tin that I’m using as a case for my iPod Shuffle. It works pretty well — I cut the original packaging up to make a little plastic bit that holds the shuffle itself against the lid, and then the little quick-reference card and the headphones fit in the bottom part. So far so good.
The problem: it still looks like a scratched-up Altoids case.
So I want to decorate it somehow, either just the lid or the whole thing, but I dunno what to do to it. Painting is probably the easiest, but I don’t know where to start. I could do a shiny and tough automotive finish but it’d mean buying cans of primer, paint and clearcoat for one Altoids tin. Craft-style paints probably wouldn’t hold up to sharing a pocket with keys, but there’s probably something clear I can spray on to protect it; I just don’t know what. Paper stickers would get dirty and worn; vinyl ones would work but I’d need to find ‘em. There’s probably other options but I dunno from crafty stuff at all.
What should I do to it?
Comments 14
You can probably get some craft enamel at a craft store that would work, and stand up to being pocketed.
Or, you could decoupage it.
Haha.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 8:37 pm ¶It is mighty easy to do. Check out http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/decoupage/a/012201a.htm for a ton of info, and links to more. =)
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 8:43 pm ¶Découpage, with several layers of varnish.
I friend turned a tin into a hum-hum box for me years ago. It handled pocketing easily. Then it was stolen.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 8:49 pm ¶Great idea! I have a ton of altoids tins I can’t bear to part with, because they might be useful. I’ll have to try it sometime!
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 9:15 pm ¶Automotive Touch-up paint?
Won’t be as good as the real thing but for small areas (and I think an Altoid tin qualifies) it seems ok.
For extra points my body shop friend recommended me drying it with a heat gun rather than air drying.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 9:32 pm ¶What, the fact that it’s a scratched-up Altoids tin isn’t cool enough for you?
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 9:38 pm ¶You could always try removing the paint entirely and using fine steel wool to give it a brushed metal look. This is, after all, an Apple product. 8^)
The best part of this idea is that if you find you don’t like, it’s ready to be painted.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 9:49 pm ¶Now you’ve got me wondering how to make it translucent white.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 9:53 pm ¶Nail Polish.
Posted 08 Feb 2006 at 10:05 pm ¶