Recycled decor is in right now and there's no medium more popular than crafts made out of vinyl records. You can get any record for a dollar a piece at a thrift store and most of the other materials you need can be found in your home! Records are a perfect way to decorate a vintage-inspired room, media room or are a perfect way to accessorize a teenager's bedroom. Here are a few neat things you can do with vinyl records.
Record Bookends
Decor
A friend gave me a pair of these for Christmas and they're so cute! While they can be purchased in a store, they're also very easy to make. All you need to do is get two LP's and fill your kitchen sink with about three or four inches of boiling water. Then place the record in the water and bend it in half at a 90 degree angle. Use a long spoon or spatula to keep the bottom of the record flat. Be careful! You don't want to burn yourself. And it's as simple as that. Something I would recommend, however, is placing a paperweight on the outside of the record when you're using it to hold up heavy books. The pair I have are made from old 45's and they're a little too small and light to hold more than five or six books.
Record Bowl
This is one of the most common ways that people reuse records. I'm sure you've seen them sold in stores and never realized how easy they are to make on your own. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Get a glass bowl that is slightly smaller than the record and place the record on top of it in the oven. Place a can in the middle of the record. As the vinyl melts the can will shape it into a bowl. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't melt over the sides of the bowl. When the record is in the shape you want, remove it and let it cool before touching. Enjoy!
Record Vase
The directions for this project are the same as the bowl with only a slight variation. Instead of setting the record on a bowl, you'll lie it flat on a cookie sheet and roll it up into the shape of a vase. The hole in the record can be used to hang on a wall or front door. If the bottom of your vase doesn't come to a closed point you can use a hot glue gun to plug the hole.
Record Clock
This project is incredibly simple. All you need to do is take a drill and widen the hole in the middle of the record. Then pop in a clock kit (which can be purchased at any craft store) and you're done! If you want to get more creative with the design of your clock, click here.
Album Covers as Wall Art:LP Frame
There's really no work involved in this. Album art is usually very artistic and it's such a shame that hardly anyone sees it. If you have a beloved record that you don't listen to much anymore you can frame it and use it as wall art. The best part is the frames keep the record protected so if you do decided to listen to your record again it won't be warped or damaged. You can purchase this LP frame from Target for around eight dollars.
Record Wall
LP's are pretty cool looking even if you don't melt them. Why not use them as a kind of wallpaper? Now they do collect a lot of dust so if you're not prepared for the upkeep or if you find the aesthetic a little too overwhelming, try using them as a decorative border instead. It's a great idea for a child or teen's room and it's a project they can even help you with, depending on their age. Just use a tape measure to evenly space the records and use finish nails to secure each record to the wall. Now you have a cool, rock and roll themed room. Try pairing them with a funky paint color that pops like the shade of blue in the picture or like Swimming in our Ocean Inspired paint palette.
Record Mail Organizer
Put record in a 200 degree oven on top of a cookie sheet. Once it is malleable, remove it and bend 1/3 of the record toward the center, making a taco shape. Then put an oven-safe plate in between the folded sides of the record. Put in oven for another minute or two. Remove and let cool. You can then hang it on the wall with the hole in the record. Or, if you keep your mail in the kitchen like I do, you can attach magnets to the back. You can purchase a bag of nickel-sized magnets with adhesive backing at any craft store for less than but you'll need four or five to hold the record to the fridge.
Record Flowers
The record is the least difficult part of this decoration. Just place two 45's in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Lay them straight on the rack. This will allow them to ripple. Then take some fabric (I used an old blouse but I think felt would be easier) and sew the different pieces together to create two stems. For the leaf, sew along the edge of your fabric and pull the thread at the end to cinch your seam. Secure the thread and attach your stems to the wall. Attach your records separately by running a finish tack through the record's center. I think felt would create a cleaner look for the piece but this was all I had at the time.
Decor Ideas - Recycling Vinyl Records
Catherine Conley is a [http://trendfunnel.com] staff blogger and is graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with an English degree in May 2010.