How-To: Altoids Tin USB Drive Protector/Carrying Case

This Instructable will show you how to make a USB thumb drive protector/carrying case out of an Altoids tin. If you are like me and have multiple USB thumb drives, this will help organize part of your digital life! This simple project can be created in five minutes, if you have the proper supplies with you.

*UPDATE* I have entered this in the Pocket-Sized contest https://www.instructables.com/contest/pocket09/ , so if you like this, please vote for it!!!

First of all, you need to gather the materials needed.

-Altoids tin
-USB thumb drives
-Scissors
-Bubble wrap (some cloth will work too)
-Hot Glue gun
-Hot Glue gun sticks

The bubble wrap or cloth is what will protect your USB drives from getting scratched and bumped around in the tin. You have to cut the bubble wrap or cloth to the correct size. I did this by laying a piece of bubble wrap that was slightly larger over the tin, and cutting each side out. If there is a tiny bit of overhang, that is fine because it will allow for more protection later on.

In the next step you will glue the bubble wrap or cloth to the inside of the Altoids tin. I used hot glue to create the bond because it dries fast. If you are using bubble wrap, change to heat setting on the hot glue gun to the lowest it can go. Spread the glue on inside of the Altoids tin on one side at a time. You then should wait a few seconds to make sure that the bubble wrap won't melt on contact with the glue. Gently and carefully place the bubble wrap or cloth on the area that the glue was applied on. Repeat this section for all sides until they have been covered with bubble wrap or cloth.

Pretty straight forward- you just need to get your USB drives to put in the case.

Now, all you have to do is arrange the USB drives in the tin however you like. You are finished!