How to Recycle Vinyl Records by Melting Them for Creative Uses

Turn your old collection of records into something besides a bookend! Easy directions to get you started on melting and reusing vinyl records. If you don’t have any records at home they can be purchased at thrift stores for less than $1 each. Make great gifts for the music lover in your family!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vinyl Record
• Cookie Sheet
• Pie Pan
• Hama-Type Meltable Beads
• Oven

1. 
    

   Use a foundation pan to set your pie pan on. You can use a cookie sheet or pizza pan. If you have neither, use a piece of cardboard covered in foil. Lay pan you wish to drape/melt record over in center of foundation. I used pans to create flowerpot and candy holders. You can melt your records over chucks of wood, bricks, ceramic molds, and much more.

2. Center your record over the item you want it to melt to. Take a pencil and mark through the center onto the object below.

3. 
    

   If you want your finished item to be able to hold water without leaking you will need to fill in the hole in the center of the record. Your first step in doing this is to place scotch tape over the hole on the side that will face inside your finished item.

4. 
    

   Place taped side down in the center of your overturned pan and fill the hold with Hama-type melting beads.

5. Place in a 300-degree pre-heated oven. Check back in 8-10 minutes. If record is draped the way you want it, pull from over.

6. 
    

   Wearing a potholder, smooth the top of the record flat against the pan. This will help smooth the bottom so it sits more solidly when flipped over. Use a spatula to apply pressure to the softened beads so they fill the hole entirely.

7. 
    

   Pick up object with record draped over it and run cool water over it. The record will cool quickly and easily remove from the pan. Pat dry and remove tape from inside.

Tips & Warnings

• You don’t have to be limited to round objects. You could drape several records over an 18-inch long piece of 4x4 wood and make a flower box, and so much more!

[turtledove]

on 4/15/2009 I like the idea of using them as candy holders at a party! 5*

[Ladybugblue]

on 2/15/2009 Very interesting idea! 5*