Reuse a Worthless Object: Altoids Tin

The Altoids tin is one of the most ingenious containers out there. So versatile, so minty, so almost rectangular. 'Tis a thing of beauty.

People do ridiculously cool things with altoid tins. They make iPod chargers, watercolor kits, even -- wait for it -- portable BBQ grills:


I'm not that cool.
Still, I love me some Altoid tins, and I never throw them away. I have one full of bobby pins, another one as my ruler for math problems, and another one in which I hide my gum. Seriously, its great. People paw through my backpack looking for gum, but they never look in the mints box. Plus, I can stash the gum wrappers in the box, so I'm never tempted to toss them on the floor UNLIKESOMEPEOPLECOUGHCOUGHCOUGH. Joke!!
Oh, and I have one with altoids in it too.

Altoids survival kits are popular...people put in duct tape, thread, chicken bouillon cubes. You could adapt that to fit your needs. Throw in a mirror, dental floss, and eyeshadow. Or a flashdrive, a mini periodic table, and a pencil sharpener. Or squirrel jerky, fishing tackle, and chewing tobacco. Whatever.

Other cool things to do with/in your tin...

• bake a cookie (over flame)
• plant a garden (no melons)
• grow a bacteria colony in agar (judge me)
• use those Magnetic Poetry word kits that were popular in the '90s
• ventriloquy: do a squeaky voice while opening and shutting the tin so it looks like it's talking
• protect your iPod and other gadgets

Anyways, I'm sure you are all far more creative than I am. And far less paranoid about people stealing your gum. Have fun and save those tins.