From Cassette Tape To Business Card Cases

I was going through junk in my grandfather’s basement, and I came across cassette tape cases. There were a few of them, but not too many. It struck me that they were the same size as the business cards I’d just ordered. The pegs inside that existed to keep a cassette in place were easy enough to snap off, allowing me to check if they were, indeed, the same size. 

Perfect. Fit. 

The one problem was they weren’t exactly art… yet. One cool thing about business card cases is that it’s like you’re putting art in art. So, I began brainstorming ways to turn these bits of plastic into something I’d love to extract my business cards from, in public, especially at networking events. 

The first one I made? It required blue tape, sharpies, and white paint.

The second one I made? Modge Podge mixed with acrylic paint, and three differently-colored sharpies.

Once they were both made, I knew that I’d been right: these were perfect for business cards.

Normally, I don’t really write about personal uses of different projects I’ve done for ‘DIY Closet Love’. Normally, I’ll make a couple of pieces of art, and then instead of making it personal, I discuss why it’s a good idea. It’s more about giving you inspiration than it is about sharing my journey with those projects. 

But, business card holders are personal. 

They’re more personal than custom jewelry, canvas pouches, or reimagining how you throw on your night clothes. That’s why I wanted to share my personal journey with creating these cases. A business is a part of you, just as this business is a part of me. Therefore, to me, this is about more than business cards.

This is about how I show my business to the world. Business card cases are a huge part of that. Imagine being at a reading, or an art gallery, or a showing, and I need to hand someone a business card? Out comes one of the cases I made myself. I pop it open, extracting one or two cards, and handing them to whoever I’m speaking to. That case the card comes from is another layer, and is just as important as the card itself.

You give people a feeling of anticipation when you pull out a self-created holder for a part of your business that you give away. It’s as if you’re unwrapping a present for whoever you’re giving your card to in front of their very eyes. It’s a way to say, “This is my business, and this is my business card to remind you of my business.”

This will help people to remember you. This will help people to remember your business.

It’s why business card cases and carriers exist, and, if you create your own, you’re showing people even more of your brand. The more people understand and experience your brand, the more likely they will be to come back. All of this is how you build an audience, and, eventually, a following.

Creating something as simple as a place to hold business cards might feel like a small point in a much, much bigger picture, but it’s all of those small points that build that picture. I hope you find old cassette tape cases and morph them into art, places for your cards. And, if you can’t find those, that you are able to build or create another way to share said cards. 

Your business is your creation. Why not create, and build, better ways to share it?