mendel

I've got an altoids tin that I'm using as a case for my iPod Shuffle. It works pretty well -- I cut the original packaging up to make a little plastic bit that holds the shuffle itself against the lid, and then the little quick-reference card and the headphones fit in the bottom part. So far so good.

The problem: it still looks like a scratched-up Altoids case.

So I want to decorate it somehow, either just the lid or the whole thing, but I dunno what to do to it. Painting is probably the easiest, but I don't know where to start. I could do a shiny and tough automotive finish but it'd mean buying cans of primer, paint and clearcoat for one Altoids tin. Craft-style paints probably wouldn't hold up to sharing a pocket with keys, but there's probably something clear I can spray on to protect it; I just don't know what. Paper stickers would get dirty and worn; vinyl ones would work but I'd need to find 'em. There's probably other options but I dunno from crafty stuff at all.

What should I do to it?