Four ways to reuse CDs

CDs, permanent markers, colourful threads are among the things needed for these projects

Create cute fish or birds using CDs.

Old CDs can be your canvases.

Have a pile of compact discs (CDs) lying around and don’t know what to do with them? Here are some quirky, fun decor ideas to make by yourself or with your family over the weekend.

For these projects, you will need CDs, permanent markers, colourful threads and wool, paper, scale, scissors, glue and charms or broken earrings/pendants.

To remove the film off a CD, grab some paper tape and stick to one part and take it off. Do the same on the whole disc, until the entire film comes off. In some cases, some pressure might be needed. Alternatively scraping with a craft knife also will work.

Dreamcatchers

Sudhanshu Gupta, a waste recyclist-hobbyist from Chennai, says making dreamcatchers are satisfying. Firstly, ensure you have peeled off the silver film on the CD. Drill a few holes carefully through the disc — one on the top for hanging and a few at the bottom for danglers. “Use glass liners to draw abstract shapes or lines on the base. Colour inside the pattern with glass colours. You can draw a random pattern or choose one from the Internet,” he adds.

After the CD has been air-dried, hang some charms (can be earrings or pendants too) via thread or colourful wool at the bottom.
“Pass a knotted thread through the top hole to hang the dreamcatcher. Hang this near a window or door from where natural light comes in,” he adds.

Cute creatures

Ahmedabad resident Rashmi Agar has made fun creatures like elephants, fish, owls, and bees from CDs. “My daughter’s bedroom has a forest-cum-lake theme. I made fish, owls, butterflies and bees from CDs. Visualising what you want to create makes it easy to plan for the material you will need,” she adds.

To make a couple of fish, firstly get some CDs and remove the film. “Paint the entire CD with a colour or a mix of colours to represent a fish’s body. While this dries, cut out lips, fins and tail from paper, which will be attached to the CD with a strong adhesive later,” she says.

After the colour dries, use a black permanent marker to draw scales (like small waves). “Take a white paper and draw eyes and stick to the top side. Stick the lips on that side and accordingly fix the fins and tail. Let it dry. Stick a double-sided tape to the back and fix on a wall,” she adds.

Coasters

These can be made by painting an entire CD with one or two acrylic colours. Make sure you let the coats dry. Paste a circle in the centre in the same colour, or with a fun message or picture, says Sudhanshu.

“If you want it to look cooler, after the paint has dried, use a coin or scale and scrape random swirls or doodles. After you are done, apply varnish on top and let it dry again,” he adds. You can use these as coasters, he adds.

Painting

Use a CD as a canvas. After removing the film, use a sandpaper on the surface. “This will help hold paint better,” says Rashmi. “Paint something simple like an evening sky with birds flying, or use the Internet to get ideas. A forest view, a tree during autumn, or even a night sky with a bright moon, are functional artwork for such a such small canvas,” she adds.