9 pieces of clever credit card art

Credit cards are an important tool in modern people’s lives. Whether you’re using them to pay for your various needs and wants, or accepting them to keep your business running smoothly, they’re performing a vital, if utilitarian function. But surprising and beautiful things can happen when you take them out of a practical context and into the world of art. Take a look at these creative ways artists have used credit cards to create interesting works of art.

Collage

1. This collage titled, Your Name Here, by Peggy Dembicer is made from shredded credit cards with applied red and black sequins and sprayed with acrylic satin finish to create a colorful eye-dazzling wall hanging.

Wreath

2. This wreath was made for the Circle of Joy holiday wreath auction in Hayes Valley, San Francisco in 2008 by Lauren Venell. The credit card art is comprised of recycled and cut up credit cards, arranged by color to evoke a holiday color scheme.

Birds

3. Artist and environmentalist Bryant Holsenbeck has made a career out of collecting discarded items like bottle caps, credit cards, plastic bags, and straws, and transforming them into interesting objects and art. These delicate birds created from cut up plastic credit cards are a beautiful example of her work.

Basket

4. Artist Amy Orr is a widely exhibited and published artist specializing in fiber arts. Shown here is her basket-like sculpture, Green Vessel, comprised of repurposed credit cards arranged in colorful pinwheels.

Flowers

5. Martha Lever can teach you to make these beautiful credit card flowers in her creative workshops. In this work, the credit cards are the paint brush, not the medium. Just be sure to use an old card so you don’t have paint mucking up the magnetic stripe or data chip.

House

6. Amy Orr dazzles again with her three-dimensional House of Cards sculpture. It is 64”w x 36” h x 32”d and constructed from credit cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards.

Frog

7. In this piece, an unknown artist used credit cards to create a delicate frog with a lively, origami look.

Tree

8. This mixed-media piece was created by people associated with the Center for Changing Lives in Minneapolis at a community event with the theme of “Re-defining wealth through art and community.”

Poppies

9. Who knew there was more than one way to swipe a credit card? This painting was created by Ardith Goodwin who used a credit card to swipe paint across the canvas, creating interesting layers and textures.