New Life for Expired Cards

Happy Monday! When I clean around the apartment, I'm bound to find things that need to be thrown away. But my compassionate heart will always find a way to give them a second chance.

Take these for example. They are expired medical insurance cards. Credit cards past their expiry date, empty gift cards, old IDs...they're all part of the same gang. So blah. 

But here's the TADA!:

I covered both sides of each card in several coats of paint (I used left-over enamel paint from this project, but spray paint works just as well). Once dry, I punctured a hole at the top using an awl. 

I'm using these cool stencils.

I like them a lot because they're adhesive -- no need for tape! And they can easily be re-positioned to most work surfaces.

I chose to use the numbers. I put the stencils in the middle of each card.

Then I gently dabbed on some paint using a foam brush or pouncer. I did about 5 coats.

I let the paint sit for a few minutes and gingerly peeled off the stencil while the paint was still wet. I immediately washed off the paint on the stencil and dried them off with a towel.

Once the cards were dry, I looped cord through the holes. And I now have numbered tags! TADA!

They come in handy when you need to be extra organized:

For keys to rooms, lockers or closets.

Or as luggage tags (just print out your contact information and stick it on the flip side).

I hope you liked this idea. Here's a similar one using decorative contact paper. Have an awesome week!