Make a Credit Card Flower Box Magnet
Excessive credit cards only make us spend more money than we can afford. Keep those cards you need and cancel all the rest. Use them to beautify the home and make you smile, instead of worrying about how to pay the bills from excessive charging. They can make perfect gifts for housewarming, Be Nice to Teachers or just anyone.
Steps
- Make a line with permanent marker running across each side of your old credit card. The lines have to be 17mm (2/3") away from each edge. Don't worry if they're a bit off; just make them all the same distance from the edges.
- Cut off all of the four corners with scissors.
- Fold each flap up, but if you find they are difficult to bend, lightly score the line using any sharp object. Alternatively, you can lay a ruler along the line and bend the side towards the ruler.
- Seal the corners together by wrapping sticky tape around the flaps a few times, until they are securely held in place. The tape will also block the gaps where the flaps meet so as to retain moisture when watering the flowers.
- Wrap the flower box in masking tape (to create an easy coloring surface) and decorate with colored Keep Gel Pens from Running out of Ink, pencils, or even paint. Buy a bottle of inexpensive sparkle or glow in the dark paint in any craft store for an interesting look. You can also paint in silver or bronze and sprinkle gold dust on it to dress it up a bit.
- Attach a magnet with sticky tape or super glue to hold it to the refrigerator. You can also use double-sided tape and stick it to anything else.
- Fill the box with a plant and soil or compost. Create more of a 'forest' look by picking some nice weeds from the garden. Or, put a culinary herb in there like chives or basil. Add more loose soil if needed to make sure the plant is secure.
- Stick it to your refrigerator, or place it on another table or surface that needs a little dressing up.
Tips
- After coloring the masking tape, cover the flower box with a little sticky tape. This helps to give it a glossy, wipe-proof look.
- Remember to keep the soil inside damp, as to keep the plant alive.
- Using two magnets instead of just the one will help with stability and stop any chance of it spinning or tipping over. You can also use a strip magnet instead of a normal magnet.
- If your box is leaky, coat the inside with plastic wrap or saran wrap to stop the leaking.
- Use a magnet from a computer hard drive (pull one yourself or buy them cheap on eBay or at computer shows), or any other high-gauss magnet so the flower box won't ever fall.
- Adding a little water absorbent polymer from a diaper or ladies pad will hold the water longer, thus requiring less watering.
- You can use colored duct tape instead of using the masking tape, if you want to skip the coloring part.
- This project can be made with a credit card-like gift card if an old credit card isn't available.
- Stick kid stickers or mini photos of friends and family onto your flower box to add a personal touch to it. Or, cover it with buttons, rhinestones and ribbon.
Warnings
- Remember that this is your credit card and to take the necessary precautions to prevent unauthorized charges on it.
- Take caution if putting this up somewhere other than your refrigerator, such as at your workplace, where someone may steal it.
- Make sure it is no longer valid and that when disposed of it is disposed of properly.
Things You'll Need
- Credit card
- Masking or duct tape
- Sticky tape
- Magnet
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Coloring pen/pencil, or craft paint
- Permanent marker
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Sources and Citations
- Instructables Article by User:PocketSized. Source of original information and selected images. Shared with permission.
