Crafty Things to Do With CD's

Until recently, CD's were used to listen to music.  Altered art came along and changed all of that.  CD's are now cut up, melted, decoupaged, hung on walls, embellished  and use in many ways for crafting projects.  This is a great way to recycle the junk CD's you get in the mail.  Below are a few ideas to help spark your
 creative imagination:

DECORATING BASICS:

1) If using whole CD's, cover the CD with decorative paper and embellishments.  Use a strong glue to adhere these items to the CD, such as Crafter's Ultimate or Modge Podge. Press the paper firmly into place with your fingers, or roll over the top with a brayer.

2) If you are going to hang your CD, be sure to hide the ends of the hanger underneath the paper so it won't be visible.

3) To ensure the CD will withstand everyday wear and tear, decoupage it.

4) To rubberstamp a CD, use solvent ink and stamp the shiny side of the CD. Use a heat gun to dry the ink, moving it around quickly so the CD doesn't melt.  Allow CD to cool.  Apply transparent paint and glitter to the stamped images for a lovely effect.

5) Experiment decorating your CD's with different types of paints for different effects.    Alcohol inks, transparent paints, and metallic paints are just a few examples of  paints that can be used for striking and colorful results.

PROJECT IDEAS:

1) Make door hangers for your work studio or baby's room.  Add words like Baby's Sleeping or  Welcome to to pass the message onto bypassers in the area.

2) Make a dishwasher clean/dirty magnet.  Be sure to use a strong magnet on the backside of  the CD.

3) CD's make great mini-photo album covers.  The CD's can be drilled at one end and bound with ribbon so they open like a book. 

4) Use the decorated CD as a picture frame.  The picture frame can be placed on a small stand so it can sit on a desk; or, attach a ribbon hanger and hang it from a wall.  Two to three picture frames can be linked together vertically by drilling a 2 holes at the top
and bottom of each CD and linking them together with jump rings and chain.  These are  a great way to display children's pictures on the wall.

5) Make a windchime by drilling several holes at the bottom of a CD.  Thread wire through the holes and attach the chimes.

6) Make CD pin jewelry by heating the CD with a heating gun, then cutting it into pieces with old scissors.  Decorate and embellish, as desired.

7) Make a decorated CD into a clock by puchased clock movements.

8) Use CD's to make colorful and decorative Christmas ornaments.
 

Basically, with CD's you can really be creative and throw out all of the old rules of design. Be creative and have fun!  Your family and friends will adore your projects!