If you’ve never heard of Mark Montano, he’s a craft designer (one of the rare dude designers!) who writes awesome books full of aMAZing projects, quite often created on the cheap.  You may also recognize his name from television, where he hosted the shows “Ten Years Younger” and “My Celebrity Home,” as well as frequent appearances as a designer on “While You Were Out.”  On his blog he recently shared a woven paint chip credit card holder from his book The Big-Ass Book of Crafts.  (The title is no exaggeration; like his other books, it contains over 150 projects!)  I love the idea because I always end up with a ton of paint swatch chips every time I go to Lowe’s or Home Depot, even when I don’t have a painting project in mind.  I just like the pretty colors.  Now I can actually do something with them!  [how to make a woven paint chip credit card holder]

The design can be unisex.  Simply change the color scheme to make it more masculine or feminine.  To give the finished credit card holder a sturdier finish on the exterior, reinforce it with packaging tape or clear contact paper.  This idea would also be a great way to add a touch of handmade when you are giving gift cards.  You could also fill it with wallet-size photos to make a great grandparent gift!

Project Estimate:

  • Paint chips, on hand or free
  • Tyvek envelope, on hand or $1 and up
  • Velcro tabs, on hand or $1 and up
  • Sewing machine, on hand

Total:  Free and up