Introduction: Reuse Spent Gift Cards (read: Bored in a Hotel!)

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About: I enjoy electronics, software, and DIY almost anything. I love posts that solve/improve/self empower everyday things we normally leave to purchased products. I work as an IT Technician and like to draw, tink…
I'm not sure if this is normal, but in my billfold (yes, "billfold, not "wallet") I can count more than five gift cards for various stores that have less than $2.00 balance left. I also find myself in a Hampton Inn & Suites...which is a fine establishment that I highly recommend...that graciously provides a hairdryer for its guests.

HMMMM??? What's that you say!?!?!

Use said hairdryer with it's insane heat output to mold used giftcards into whatever random widget I may find useful, you say? I believe I will...starting with: Abstract art. Bing, bang, boom. Let's go...

Step 1: Gear

Admittedly, this list is specific to my setup:

1: Hairdryer
2: Ceramic soap dish (some sort of heating base)
3: Unwanted gift card

*At this point, I just wanted to know if the hair dryer would allow a card to be molded at all.
(Hint: It does.)

Step 2: Turn Up the Heat...

As in the photo, turn the soap dish upside-down. (The soap dish is only important to keep the card off any flat surface that would rob the applied heat) After laying the gift card on our newly improv'd base, turn your hairdryer on "high" and direct the hot air directly onto the card, keeping the nose less than one inch away. After about two minutes (or more, depending on thickness), your card should be pliable enough to bend into whatever form you wish.

While the squiggly I made has no certain use, there could be many useful applications for this technique. (I'll add more if I make anything more useful.)