Ketchup USB

The great thing about USB thumb drives is their regular form factor and the small size of their "innards". This gives a great opportunity for customising! This instructible is more for inspiration that technical instructions.

This USB drive has had a number of "bodies", but this is my favourite so far. Most people that have seen it have asked about it. Most ask if the ketchup affects the electronics! Now, see how it is done.

Caveat. This is a real ketchup packet that contains ketchup. Squeeze too hard and it might burst. Also the life of the packet is about 2-3 months of use as a USB cover. After that it gets too soft and starts delaminating. Do not use this USB drive cover for mission critical data. You have been warned!

What you need:
USB drive (without it's outer casing)
2 Ketchup packets (one that are not filled too much are better)
Double-sided sticky tape
Scissors

PS Sorry for the bad pictures, I used my phone camera!

Step 1: How to Make It!

Although most people think the USB drive is in the packet, it actually sits on top!

1) Cut open one ketchup packet. Use the ketchup on your chips (don't waste it!). Cut out the coloured part along the edge. The edge will help to hide the seams. Clean the inside of the cover.

2) Cover your USB drive with tape to protect it. Then use double sided sticky tape to tape the drive to the cover of the the second packet.

3) Cover the back of the cover with double sided tape making sure to cover the edges, but not let the tape show.

4) Tape the cover carefully on the second packet lining up the edges and making sure the edges are firmly stuck done. This will make it almost invisible.

5) Make up a story on how you managed to mix ketchup and (micro)chips to tell your amazed friends!

Now go and use your imagination to create your own USB cover. And don't forget to show us what you have come up with!

Comments

[smashman]

amazing

[smashman]

just let ketchup stay in the pack (uncut one.. i am not that stupid u see) and use it the next time you long for it

[frank26080115]

This is my favorite USB drive case mod so far. It's great marketing material for fast food too.

Maybe you should try some sort of filler to fill up the packet, maybe that will prevent you from wearing out the packet.

[andreas_sher]

Filler would be safer that ketchup, but the problem is the packaging isn't designed to take a lot of flexing over time. If you keep squishing it, the plastic tends to delaminate and crack. If you use a filler that get rigid, you loose the squishy effect, but it does become more permanent. Good idea though!

[andreas_sher]

Thanks! As to the fast food marketing . . . well . . . I don't necessarily advocate eating too much fast food, but it's easier to get packets from the fast food place rather than generic ones! Call me lazy. :)

The packet is filled . . . with ketchup! The second packet (the one the drive is taped to) remains intact. It is filled with the original sauce. But I tend to play with it when it is not plugged in, squishing the ketchup from end to end. Maybe that is why they don't last very long!

[kelcylane]

I shouldn't do this one cause...I'll be squishing the ketchup and it wouold explode on me and I'd get in trouble or something! hahah

[DCA]

Awesome. I'm like so going to do this. Do you think this would work with mustard or maybe Arby's Horsey Sauce?

[andreas_sher]

Yup, could work with anything! You could use any kind of soft packaging you can think of, as long as the contents and packaging are flexible to "hide" the drive.

[cloudifornia]

I hate McDonalds, but I like ketchup. This is clever, whatever it is. 5 stars and a vote.

[sonicsizer]

This is really cool